Shinobi
by Blazeraptor54
Summary: A mistake lands Minato and Kushina in Remnant. With no way home, and a child on the way, the pair decides that if they can't find their way home they'd make one here. Perhaps, this is for the best, in a world of darkness, blue eyes shine in the night.
1. Chapter 1: Mistakes were made

Minato Namikaze was many things. A hero, a Shinobi, the supposed child of destiny, and probably the greatest genius of his generation. He specialized in one rarely used type of Ninjutsu, and as he looked at the seal, he had drawn on the ground, he smiled.

"Alright then, now to apply a little Sennin Mōdo…" Minato clapped his hands together, drawing natural energy in from around him.

He flinched when it was taking too long, _'good grief, despite Ma-chan's cooking and Fukasaku-san's help…I'm still too slow at this!'_

"Honey!" Minato's concentration was broken, and the form left almost immediately afterward.

Minato turns to the owner of the voice that called out to him, a lovely redhead. The woman was leaning against a tree, she took notice of the seal on the ground and smiled.

"Still doing experiments with Jikūkan Ninjutsu?" She asked him. "Dinner's getting cold, I made your favorite, Dattebane!"

"Right…sorry Hime, I'm just out here trying to see what I can do with Jikūkan and Sennin Mōdo," Minato told his wife as she walks toward him, he helped up his hands expecting her to explode on him.

She had been having mood swings lately, she then smiled before quickly pecking him on the lips, "you're lucky I'm carrying something too important to start a fight."

"Eh?" Minato looked confused before trying to look behind her. "You bring the food with you or something?"

"No~" She teases as she moved closer to him with a smile.

He felt her wrap those soft arms around him, those same arms that made him feel like heaven was embracing him. She hugged him, very hard, but not enough to crush him against her like she usually did. Tsunade had taught her a lot, even how to use her famous strength, and it's kind of scared Minato if she ever got super angry.

That and her bringing out The Kyubi when she was in a mood swing one time. It was over Miso Ramen, and Minato kind of felt bad for once for the large Tailed Beast inside of Kushina, of all things to force its chakra to be used, it was over a bowl of noodles.

"Um, you have another little amulet to give me?" Minato guesses again only for the hug tighten, sweat began to roll off him, "Kushi-chan…your…kind of squeezing me hard."

"Well, I'll give you a hint, remember a couple months ago? You know, in the hot springs, when we were by ourselves?" Kushina teases him more before breaking the hug and rubbing the back of her head, "that we had to pay for the damages for…hehehe."

The hamster in Minato's head stopped, proceeding to fall off and die of a heart attack. The blonde man stood there wide-eyed, he pointed at her, then to him, she nodded in confirmation. He felt his body go limp, dropping back onto the ground.

"Minato!" Kushina yells.

The man was out cold, she pinched her nose, "can face down a thousand-man army…and hearing the news that he's going to be a father makes him pass out."

"But," she smiles as she sat by him, "that's why you love you…you're my big dummy."

Minato suddenly lurched up, "wow what a dream!"

"What dream?" Kushina questioned him with a smile.

"That you told me you were pregnant and that I was going to be the father," Minato rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, best dream ever!"

"Well," she grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach, "you're not dreaming."

Minato felt like crying, in fact, he did as he picked her up and slung her around. "I'm going to be a dad! Woohoo!"

"Easy there," Kushina laughs while being slung around. "You're gonna have to be more careful with me."

"I know," Minato sets her down before giving her a kiss. "But when I haven't, I been?"

"The hot springs…that we had to fix because we both just couldn't control ourselves. Then again, that was one hell of a honeymoon ender." Kushina nodded, and lightly stroked her husband's cheek.

"Yeah considering how many times we had to delay it," Minato admitted as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Oh, the food's probably cold now." Kushina laments.

"I don't care about it, I'll take us out to eat, in fact, I'll cook from now on!" Minato declares only to get a small whack on his head.

"I said I'm pregnant, not disabled but come to think of it…Ichiraku isn't half bad right now." Kushina bashfully says while rubbing her chin.

"And we'll go to Ichiraku, Ayame-chan and Teuichi-san will love to hear about this." Minato walks her to the seal and looked at her, though she was confused.

"Minato, shouldn't we head toward the village?" She asks him.

"We are, we're just taking a quicker way there. You see I've designed this seal as a hub for all my seals and kunai. It is still in its first stages, I was going to use it before you came along. I figured that for the maximum range and power I'd have to enter Sennin Mōdo. My target was actually was in the middle of Konoha." Minato answer while revealing his new Jutsu.

"So," Kushina looked flabbergasted. "You're making a super seal?"

"Based on Uzumaki Fūinjutsu, in fact, I read in one of the scrolls that your clan back in the day had a master named Arashi that was able to teleport miles away at a time." Minato then rubbed the back of his head as he proudly declared the name of his project.

"I call this Jutsu in his honor, Jikūkan: Arashi No Hiraishin No Jutsu Han Futatsu. It so far only requires five hand seals. Rat, Serpent, Tiger, Ram, and then finally Bird!" Minato stated whole using the hand seals.

"Oh wow, that's awesome!" Kushina praised him as she rubbed her stomach. "Hear that in there, your daddy is a genius…though he could work on the naming a little bit."

"Yeah…I know its long." Minato confesses as he rubbed the back of his head.

"No," Kushina shook her head. "Since you'd have to use it with Sennin Mōdo…shouldn't it technically be Senpō: Arashi No Hiraishin Jutsu Han Futatsu?"

"You forgot a phrase," Minato teased. "No Jutsu Han Futatsu."

"Nope, I say shorten it to what I said formerly. After all, it makes more sense, since it'll be a literal storm of teleportation." Kushina then smiled, "you could place one in Konoha as another hub!"

"And then I can start placing them around the village!" Minato added on.

"Creating an all-around literal Jikūkan Seki. Wow, that's amazing Kushi-chan, and it'd pretty much make Konoha unassailable…well so long as someone doesn't go rogue with my Jutsu." Minato laughs as he rubbed the back of his head.

"True, but enough talk, let's give it a try. What's the worst-case scenario?" Kushina inquired.

"Hmm, well I figured that it'd initially be highly inaccurate. Teleporting me to a random kunai and judging by the amount of power I wish it could easily teleport us well over forty miles away. So basically, we could end up near Takigakure or we can be transported to the border of Konoha's influence." Minato explains to Kushina as he chuckled, "but if that happens, I guess we can stop somewhere and get something to eat from a nearby village.

"True…" Kushina huddled next to him, "ready to give it a try?"

"I've been gathering energy since we've talked, and…" Minato closed his eyes as an orange pigment came over them, "bingo."

He opens them revealing golden irises and pupils in the shape of a toad. Minato began to form the seals, each one letting out an echo of the energy being gather. Kushina clutched his shoulder tight, kind of afraid, but excited at the same time.

"Alright…" Minato called out the technique, "Senpō: Arashi No Hiraishin Jutsu Han Futatsu!"

Suddenly a black portal opens beneath their feet, Kushina yelps and Minato grabs her as they are dragged down into it by the Jutsu's. Minato and Kushina both yell as they feel the pressure of the Jutsu and power of it.

"Holy…crap!" Minato yells as he clutches his wife, "this is unexpected!"

"No kidding, I'm seeing Konoha! Wait there it goes, we overshot Konoha!" Kushina yells as sees everything fly around them, with the sound of ticking in the background.

Both clinched their eyes shut.

* * *

Minato then noticed strings around them, "unbelievable…these are Time Strings…and this is the fabric…"

"What kunai did you lock on to?!" Kushina yells as they floated in the void for a minute.

Minato looked around, "I…I didn't I…was about to and we just got sent here."

"WHAT?!" Kushina screams as she looks around the area, both are floating toward nowhere.

"Calm down," Minato reassures her with a small squeeze on her shoulder. "I'll just release the Jutsu. Kai!"

When he yelled at the phrase all sudden everything around them turned black before a bright light filled the void and both felt something wash over them. Minato felt cold air, grabbing Kushina and bracing themselves.

He saw snow on the ground as they fell from the sky, "hang on!"

"Why did I agree to do this?!" Kushina screams before both impact the ground, getting knocked unconscious.

* * *

Minato shot up and looked over to Kushina. He was scared as he placed her hand just near her mouth and nose but was relieved when he felt her breathing. He looked around and took note of the snow falling. The cold air made him shake a little bit, but he still bent down and picked up Kushina.

"Kushi-chan?" Minato called her name in trepidation, scared. "Baby…can you hear me?"

"Hmm…five more minutes Minato, I'm so…tried…and for the sake of the will of fire…turn off the AC." She grumbles as she turns in his hands, "not…good for the baby."

She was alive that was good. Slowly he began to limp along the snow-covered ground, he sensed the area around him. Though he didn't find any nearby chakra signatures, well, normal chakra signatures for that matter. He did find that they weren't exactly alone, though still far away, he could sense a very distorted and very dark chakra.

Not wanting to really put his wife and future child at risk the man took to slowly walking in the snow. Using his chakra to hold Kushina tighter as slipped off his cloak and placed it around her. If there was one thing he felt, besides the pain in his sprained ankle, was the fact he felt horrible.

He had nearly gotten himself and his pregnant wife killed. Over wanting to test a Jutsu, a Jutsu that was genius, but even then, it was too dangerous. What was in his mind, was it Kushina's excitement over her clan's knowledge being used. Something they both would be the first to do in nearly a hundred years or was it the fact they just wanted excitement.

It was stupid, it was very reckless. However, what's done is done, and he needed to focus on finding some woods or a family willing to let them stay in for a night until they got their bearings. The wind began to kick up however and Minato cursed his luck.

He clutches Kushina closer to himself, she must be really knocked out. He noted something wet on his arm from where he was cradling her head. He looked down, it was blood. Almost possessed by some unseen force Minato ran as fast as he could.

Ignoring the pain in his foot.

He nearly fell as he plows through a snowbank, running faster and faster until he was nothing more than a shadow. The winds whipped him, the cold burned him, the howling winds carried a foul feeling in them.

He then took note of something. The thin air, the feeling of lightness, it was obvious. They were on a mountaintop, it had to be somewhere in Iwagakure!

This sent Minato into a panic, he was strong, but if Iwagakure knew he was here they would come after him. They would come after him in troves, and while he could easily hold them off, Kushina was a different story.

Being pregnant messed with your chakra, lowering it so that it could use some to help the baby grow and maintain its health. It is why many Shinobi children were born with powerful chakra reserves that were more potent than normal civilians. Its also why their children were able to run at blistering speeds, leap bounds, and have incredible durability.

Compared to the average human, Shinobi were very much superhuman.

Minato leaped over a snowbank. He saw the mountain's peak, as frost nipped at his hair. He jumped over it, and then his whole outlook sank. It was nearly night, there was no doubt, but what made his world sink was the fact that the moon…wasn't their moon.

He stood there and for once the man was unable to move, "it can't be…"

It was, the moon he knew was whole and very far away. The moon he saw was shattered, broken as if the biggest Bijūdama he would've ever seen. Slowly things fell into reality for Minato, and he wanted to create a clone and have that clone punch himself in the face.

Minato had screwed up big time, and he started to figure out why.

The Kyūbi No Yōko, but more specifically his own fault, the seal draws power from the individual inside of it. He figured that Kushina's chakra would give it a little boost, but he didn't think the damned Kitsune's power would be a factor.

He thought very wrong.

So, for the first time in his life, Minato looked at himself as a failure. He clutched Kushina, no telling where they were, perhaps when they were. But he, for now, he had a duty as a husband and father to try!

He leaps off the peak and uses chakra to brace himself as he impacted the ground. He ran fast, ignoring the pain in his ankle, looking around the boreal forest. Trying to find any sign of life, or at the very least find a cave somewhere.

But something was amiss as he stops, the dark spots from before seemed to be moving in unison. He gritted his teeth, not wanting to put Kushina in harm's way, he began to hurry up and got away from them.

* * *

Kushina was in a familiar place, above her was a large shadow. She looked up, seeing a familiar sight. A large orange furred fox with crimson eyes laid spread eagle across a solid mass of earth. Its hands, tails, and feet impaled by red spikes.

It raised its head, the furthest it since a chain was around its neck. It glared down at Kushina Uzumaki, it snorted.

 **"** **After these long years, isolated and alone, my jailer finally pays a visit."** The giant fox states as it glares down at her, **"and didn't even bring me any food."**

"Kyūbi…" Kushina mumbles as she held her head, noting blood on her hand.

 **"** **Ah,"** The Kyūbi noticed the wound. **"Come to ask me for chakra to heal yourself?"**

"No, I…well…" Kushina rubs the back of her head, "sort of got sent in here."

 **"** **Heh,"** The Kyūbi chuckled. **"You're lucky you're an Uzumaki, your clan has always had hard heads."**

He looked down at her stomach, seeing the light of a second chakra. **"How advantageous."**

"You won't hurt my child," Kushina backed up as she spoke. "I'll die before you ever lay a claw on him…or her."

 **"** **Please, as if I would be so monstrous, I'm not human."** Kyūbi counters with a sneer.

"I'm not going to believe that," Kushina said. "I grew up with stories that you killed off entire cities."

 **"** **I won't deny that I've plagued humanity for thousands of years. However, to be honest, they deserved it. You can only do so much damage to the world before something has to act, and if humanity won't do it, and nature is taking too long…I expedite the process."** The Kyūbi agrees but takes a shot back at Kushina.

"What did they do?" Kushina asks as she took a deep breath, "I'm going to be here for a minute."

 **"** **Oh? Well, honestly, war. They continued to go to war, killing each other and enslaving each other, even before your petty squabbles called The Shinobi World Wars, I witness wars between continents…even fought in one."** The Kyūbi reveals to Kushina as it leaned its head back.

She looked at him, "so you're a hypocrite."

 **"** **Not exactly, I thought I was fighting for the right side, and then I witness the descendants of the person I fought alongside commit genocide…"** The Kyūbi sneers as it spoke, **"I killed them all quickly before razing their cities to the ground with hellish flames."**

Kushina lowered head, "I guess I can get the reason why you started, but why not give them a chance to stop?"

 **"** **Chance, stop, child…your foolish optimism blinds you. I gave them plenty of leave way, constantly warning them, a smashed mountain there…a forest fire here. There final warning was usually an earthquake, and if they didn't heed it, I would just raze that city or village."** The Kyūbi just speaks as it looked at her.

 **"** **However,"** it said. **"Being sealed and being forced into someone is fairly recent."**

"I didn't really have a choice in the matter," Kushina replied with a soft voice. "I get it, I do somewhat, after you were sealed in me the…isolation."

 **"** **Then why don't you rip away my seal and let me free,"** it offered up. **"If you feel that I was wronged in some way, then wouldn't it be only fair to release me from bondage?"**

She nods, "it would be…but I can't, and you know that. Releasing you would put a death sentence on me, my unborn baby, my husband. Not to mention the other unborn children, and children across Konoha."

"You'd raze it to the ground," she told him. "You'd probably try to raze the other large villages to the ground."

 **"** **Heh, not too far off, but no. My one and only goal is Konoha, where that bastard Madara Uchiha came from and that bastard Hashirama. However, the goal is forever gone…"** The Kyūbi laments.

"I kind of feel sorry for you," Kushina admitted. "I never held any hatred for you, well…the hatred that was justified."

 **"** **I guess since you're becoming a mother the world is seen in a different view, you've toned down from the loudmouth of a girl I watched you as."** The Kyūbi says as it leans his head up.

Grunting with effort as the chain pulled him back on to the stone. Kushina looked saddened by it, she watches as he struggled to even flex his wrists. The redhead slowly walked forward and raised her hand up, slowly the chain around his neck began to glow.

Then disappeared.

The Kyūbi's eyes were wide as he looked down at her, it was a small gesture, but it was a powerful one.

"I can't trust to let you fully go, because I know if I do…I die." Kushina rubs her stomach, "and I don't want to do that because my child never did anything to you."

 **"** **Life isn't fair…"** The Kyūbi retorts.

"I know," Kushina agreed with a sigh. "But I think you need me alive as well."

 **"** **Very true, until you go into labor."** It chuckles.

"W-what?" Kushina looked horrified.

 **"** **Foolish girl,"** The Kyūbi laughed. **"I don't give a damn about your child, or your sense of morality. Your seal weakens, as all Jinchūriki women does."**

She stood there, wanting to slam the chain back on his neck, maybe even try to break it. However, though she knew he could sense the negative anger rolling off her, she did something unexpected. She just looked at him right in his eyes.

"You won't break free, because I plan on having my child…and then I'll have more children!" She declares.

She looked right into his very being, "and each time I will survive. I will hold them, I will sob because a mother's love is more powerful than a demon's hatred!"

 **"** **You want to bet your life to just pop out children, how pathetic are you?!"** The Kyūbi screams back at her.

"I'm not pathetic, my one dream after getting married was to have a lot of children. I don't give a care in the world if you're so ultimate demon, some city destroying ancient being, you won't stop me from having what I dreamt of for the last two years being married!" Kushina yelled at him and surprisingly jabbing her finger into the toe of the massive beast that was hanging off the rock.

It got annoyed fast, **"cease that at once, you annoying tomato headed witch!"**

Kushina roars out in anger stubs the massive chakra beast's toe with a massive punch, it roars out in pain, **"you pest!"**

"Don't call me tomato!" Kushina yells at him.

She then huffed, but then sighed, "I'm sorry…I hated being called tomato as a kid."

It glared down at her, **"what does it matter to me?"**

"Well…" Kushina shrugs as he looked up at him, "I guess nothing really."

 **"** **Heh…"** The Kyūbi smiled. **"What does it matter, the moment you go into labor I'll be free."**

Kushina looked down, "not without a fight on my part."

 **"** **And I'll relish in your screams of horror,"** The Kyūbi mocked her. **"But if you think Konoha will be of assistance…you'll be sadly mistaken."**

"Why's that?" Kushina inquired.

 **"** **You'll know when you awaken, you'll feel despair, and I'll laugh at you as you become scared and afraid."** The Kyūbi then chuckles, **"but until then I would recommend avoiding whatever those black spots moving about outside are."**

* * *

Kushina shot up from a small bed, she shook as she looked over at Minato. Her eyes were red and foxlike, but slowly they turned to their normal blue. Her head wound steamed making her hiss. She felt the wound close, better than Minato's rudimentary stitching could provide.

She looked at him, "Mi-Minato…where?"

"Kushina," Minato rubbed her cheek as he dropped the book he had been attempting to read, but there was a layer of fear in his voice. "I can't explain it."

"Did something happen to…our baby?" She asks, fearing to look down.

"No," Minato reassured her. "Nothing happened, you're fine…and she'll be fine."

"Heh, still on about having a daughter, I want a son," Kushina says as she leaned against the wall.

But she took notice of the state in which the room they dwelled was, "Minato did you…?"

"No, Kushi-chan, I didn't. I came across this village, town, whatever it is. It was abandoned, and I managed to find a more secured building and settled us here for the night." Minato tells her.

She looked around, "what's wrong?"

"Kushina," Minato took a deep breath, scared to reveal what he learned. "I don't think we're in any of The Shinobi Countries."

"W-what, but how, are you sure?" Kushina asks him as he looked away. "Minato!"

"I'm sure," Minato lamented. "Its all my fault Kushina…I…got us in this mess."

"No," Kushina lowered her head. "It's my fault, I pushed you to do the damned Jutsu…"

Minato sighs as he looked at her, he then walks over toward the small fireplace. "I managed to rummage through the house we're in. I found some soup cans, at least, from what I tasted."

She looked down at his ankle, "Minato you're hurt."

"I'll be fine," Minato reassured his wife. "I ain't clocking out any time soon."

She chuckles, "you always find a way…to make me laugh Minato-kun."

"Oh? Using honorifics Kushina, I am making progress…" Minato got the pillow thrown at him as chuckles.

She just sighed, "can you get us back?"

"I gathered chakra an hour ago, it's the middle of the night…I ran an experiment while exploring the house. My chakra is fine, it still works, so yours does as well. I was able to use the Hiraishin No Jutsu. But when I tried expanding my range using Sennin Mōdo I found that no other kunai was there…confirming my suspensions." Minato laments as he revealed some more troubling news.

"But you just said you didn't think we were in any of the nations," Kushina pointed out. "Why would you try to…oh, you were trying to create an anchor."

"Yes, and it failed, wherever we are…it isn't any place Shinobi have been before. However," Minato reaches up as spoke and pulled a picture down. "I discovered that life wherever we are isn't foreign to us."

Kushina looked at the picture, "Ningen? Wow, so if we're not on The Shinobi Nations where are we?"

"Kushi-chan, I think the question you asked is more troubling then you realize. I found this device," Minato holds out a glassy object before using Raiton chakra to charge it up.

The Uzumaki looked at it, "that's…highly advanced technology."

"Yeah, but its nothing like we've got in our world." Minato tinkers with it, "I managed to make it take a picture."

The woman looked down and saw the various other photos in the phone, noting children. She looked around, saying a silent prayer in her mind that whoever was the owner of this device got out safely. She then scrolled to a picture of the broken moon, gasping and dropping the device which clattered on the ground.

The man looked at her, holding her hand, she then started to babble out. "He was right, the Kyūbi was right…no…no…no!"

"Kushi-chan!" Minato yelled to get her attention, "look at me, we'll be okay…I promise."

"Minato that's not it, when I got to give birth to our child the Kitsune will try to get out. I…I…" she started to cry as she held him, "I'm so scared…I'm scared!"

Minato was stunned by this information but slowly wrapped around his wife in a tight hug. "Then we'll face this challenge, together."

"He won't hurt you, or our baby, I promise Kushi-cha. I swear on my life," Minato stated as he held her. "I don't care if we make it back home…I just want to make sure you're safe."

"Me too…" Kushina mumbles while sobbing a little bit.

Minato held his wife tight and slowly loosen the hug, "I got something that smells like chicken if you want it."

Kushina couldn't help it, "that what he said."

"Really, going from crying to joking, mood swings?" Minato inquires as he poured her a bowl, making sure to have a lot of broth in it.

"Maybe…I'm just…scared for our baby and you. If the Kyūbi tries to escape while I'm giving birth, and if we truly are in a separate world, I am afraid of the possibility of innocent people being killed." Kushina lets loose, "and I don't want that to be my legacy."

Minato handed her the bowl, smiling. He then placed his hand on her stomach, leaning in and kissing her cheek.

"Your legacy, my lovely Hime, is the love that we will give to our world if we find a way back…or if this one if we can't." Minato comforts her.

"You're awfully calm about this Minato…" Kushina sighed.

"I screwed up, but I've had a few hours to come to grip with the possibility of being stuck. But if anything, my loyalty lays with my family, and you're my family…the baby inside of you is my family. If we're stuck here, your wellbeing and the wellbeing of my child is the top priority." Minato speaks while getting his own bowl of soup.

The redhead looked at him, suddenly having another bout of tears fall from her face, "I don't deserve you…you worked so hard to become Hokage and it…it just…"

"I worked hard to be Hokage for _us_ Kushina, you're dream and mine are the same. I want to be Hokage, but it is not worth it if I can't grow old with you. I want to hold you at night, I want to chase away all your frights, and I want to have our children see this and carry _our_ will of fire. That same fire that glows brightest when around the people we love, that we cherish the most. To never go back on our words, to become the best of ourselves, and no matter what _home_ isn't just a village…" Minato took a pause in speech to reach out and stroke Kushina's cheek.

He smiled at her, "it's where the _heart_ is."

She pushes her face against his palm, "I love you."

"I love you too," Minato replied with a warm smile. "Now eat, C'mon, we need to discuss a game plan for the time being."

She then looked at him, "have you tried summoning then Toads?"

"Yeah…and it didn't work," Minato admitted. "My original plan was to call Ma-chan and have her use the Gyaku Kuchiyose No Jutsu and we'd just be reversed summoned to Mt. Myōboku."

"I never been there, is Ma-san's cooking as good as mine?" Kushina inquires.

Minato rubbed the back of his head.

* * *

 _Minato looked at the pile of worms on a plate, his face became green, "okay serious Jiraiya-Sensei!"_

 _"_ _I'm being serious," Jiraiya, an older man with white hair said. "They actually help with the mastery of Sennin Mōdo."_

 _"_ _Eh?!" Minato backed away, Ma looked hurt as she looked at Fukasaku._

 _Jiraiya smacks face, "forgive me guys, I kind of spoiled Minato when he was younger with Dango."_

 _"_ _You do know that The Great Gama-Sennin has told your future, correct, that you aren't the chosen child that our student continues to search for." Ma inquires as he comes back over._

 _The boy nods, "yeah, but still, I made a promise that if Jiraiya wasn't able to find him…I would."_

 _"_ _You'd take your teacher's burdens?" Fukasaku questions Minato as the young teen got his chopsticks ready._

 _Minato smiles, "my teacher has been the closest thing to a father, and family shares burdens."_

 _He took a deep breath before trying a bite and immediately regrets it. The slimy head of the worm still wiggled as he swallowed it down his throat, Mt. Myōboku food was an acquired taste. However, Minato had the grace to press on and finish his plate._

 _"_ _That and his redheaded girlfriend would kick his ass if he came back a failure," Jiraiya boisterously points out while drinking some sake from a saucer._

 _Minato almost flung the bowl at the man, growling at him before pouting. "At least I have someone."_

 _Jiraiya punches the youth across the head, "and as your "father" I'll knock you on the head for being a little shit!"_

 _Ma suddenly appears behind Jiraiya, smacking him with a cane, "no cursing in my home!"_

 _Minato and Jiraiya had two large welts on their head, "sorry Ma-Chan/Shima-Sama."_

* * *

"Ahh, well, it wasn't horrible. After I got used to milk worms and caterpillars. Turns out the entire spiel about the food making Sennin Mōdo easier was a little bit of a lie." Minato tells her, "and Jiraiya said you'd kicked my ass if I came back a failure."

"I would've, I told I would, it seems like another lifetime ago, Dattebane." Kushina laughs as she remembered her and Minato from back then.

The awkward looks, the time Minato had been made to dress like a girl and got hit on because he lost a bet to Kushina. What was it, when they were fourteen and shared their first awkward kiss? Minato and she moved like tree sap, ever so slowly down a tree.

After the Third Shinobi World War ended Minato and Kushina got married and wanted to have a child. However, the first go around she had suffered a miscarriage about two months in. then the death of a student of theirs, Rin, died. Which set her and Minato back another year before trying again.

Kushina was two months pregnant with her current child, she would've probably found sooner if she didn't ignore her last appointment.

All of that didn't matter to her now, she was here, and she was alive.

She was going to live, no matter the cost, for her family.

After finishing the meal, the two snuggled into bed, waiting for first light in order to relocate and try to find civilization. Hopefully, this new world, whatever it held, would be easy enough to adjust to. She knew well enough as she slept Minato would probably keep his eyes open, making sure she would be safe.

And with that, The Namikaze Family rest their heads on their first day in a new world.

* * *

 _Jutsu Translations._

 ** _Jikūkan_** _(meaning Space/time style.)_

 ** _Senpō: Arashi No Hiraishin No Jutsu Han Futatsu_** _(Sage Art: Storm of The Flying Thunder God Technique version one!)_

 ** _Jikūkan Seki_** _(Space/Time style: Gate.)_

 ** _Fūinjutsu_** _(sealing arts.)_


	2. Chapter 2: Game Plan

Minato was the first to wake up, he looked at his sleeping wife. She held her pillow close, she was sleeping facing the wall, it was rather funny since it was what she did at home. The man slowly glided his hands through her hair.

"Kushi-chan," Minato stirred his wife while rubbing her hair. "Honey, we need to get moving the fire went out."

"Right," she agreed while looking at him over her shoulder. "But where are going to go from here?"

"I don't know," Minato said before taking a deep breath. "However, I know I need to make sure you're safe and no matter what you and I will have a chance to be great parents."

"What about, you know, The Kyūbi?" Kushina inquired.

"One thing at a time," Minato replied while watching her turn over to face him.

She smiles, "I love you."

"Love you too Hime, now c'mon we need to get up and going." Minato got up from the bed, sliding on his cloak.

He was going to be scouting ahead with clones, but it would be to their benefit if they scouted the village out first. Minato looked at her, taking a deep breath, he got on his combat boots.

"Kushi-chan, I'll search the village for some supplies, maybe even a map. If we can at least get a bearing of where we are in this world, we'd be a step closer to surviving." Minato reasons as he grabs some gear off the ground.

Kushina sighs as she looked at him, "I guess I'll hang back here, cooking some sort of breakfast."

"Kushi…you don't feel like a burden, do you?" Minato questioned as he placed a hand on hers.

"No," Kushina lowered her head. "I'm just scared because we came so close to having one before and…and…"

"I know, not a day goes by that I don't think about our little girl." Minato sits down on the bed.

He looked at his wife, "Kushi-chan, I know you were happy to hear about this pregnancy. But you don't have to face the fears you have for it alone."

"Aka was four months in," she lamented while a lone tear came from her eye. "She died in me Minato…I…I don't deserve the second chance at being a mother, but I'll damn sure not give up."

"Kushi-chan, you deserve any chance to be a mother, Obito…Rin, Aka…they wasn't your fault." Minato comforts her while rubbing her hand with his thumb.

"Minato," Kushina lowered her head as she spoke, "I'm just scared I'll lose this baby too."

"Honey," he reassured her. "I give you my word as your husband and soulmate that our child will live and have a happy life."

"A Namikaze never goes back on their word," Minato states before smiling.

She couldn't help it, the smile was infectious and simply returned it. He got up from the bed, leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead. Looking into each other's eyes, both nodded, clear to their separate tasks. Minato blew her a kiss as he walked out of the door.

Kushina looked at where the pot was and looked where some spare wood from a broken table was as well. She nods to herself, getting up, slipping on a jacket that Minato scrunched up last night while she had been asleep.

* * *

Snow pelted the ruined village. The highest of the buildings, obviously the capital building, laid in ruins. The house Minato had secured for him and Kushina was a moderate home, or at least it had been. The village they were in situated high into the mountains, not at the top, but far from the bottom.

He walked over toward the cliff edge of the village, looking down over the edge. There was a large boreal forest at the base, one of the cliff edges of the village offered a massive view. However, throughout that view, Minato saw no signs of other life anywhere. Sighing, this village kind of reminded him of a much smaller version of Kumogakure.

Except Kumogakure was oddly drier than Iwagakure, despite being in the tallest mountains in The Shinobi World. The blonde former leader of Konoha just looked at it all, it held an alarming amount of strange beauty to it.

The way everything looked slightly blue in the cold, the following snowflakes.

Taking a moment to sense the area. He places a finger on the very cliff's edge, pulsing chakra, he felt the dark spots again. Looking at it with his mind's eye, despite the beauty of the boreal forest below them, a lot of dark spots moved in unison together.

There none near the village, which was good. He figured he could probably take out whatever they were, with relatively low difficulty, but also figured that it would put Kushina in massive dangerous. That was the no-no of the plan, and he wouldn't dare do that!

Standing upright Minato began to explore more of the village, unfortunately, his scan of the area only produced Kushina's signature beside the dark spots. All life here was gone, dead more than likely. At best they fled into the boreal forest and perhaps beyond it.

Scrunching snow under the heels of his boots Minato came to an odd discovery. There was some sort of weapon laying on the ground, at least he thought it was. He grabbed it, picking it up, recognizing it a little bit. He saw how the weapon was long, with a tube at the very front and what looked like a loading chamber in the middle.

He saw a little handlebar near the chamber, reaching up to it he pulled it back. The weapon made a loud clicking sound before dispensing a round onto the snowy ground. Minato looked at it some more, he quickly determines that this was a gun.

Guns were very rare in The Shinobi World, very few people on them. They were often cited as too expensive to mass produce and very wasteful on resources. There was also the fact no Shinobi in their right mind would choose a gun over Jutsu unless they couldn't use Jutsu, in which case it was still a very poor choice against fellow Shinobi.

In a battle of seconds, if one needed several to get his weapon operating, then that person was dead. He discards the weapon onto the ground, not interested in it. He did find a barn of some sort just in front of him, and quickly he made his way over toward the door.

He tried to open them normally, but it felt like something was blocking him on the other side. Without hesitation, Minato reeled back his arm and sent a chakra enhanced punch through the doors and ripped the padlock off.

Pulling his arm from the hole Minato then kicked the doors open, readying a kunai in his hand just in case someone was purposely hiding from his detection. However, it quickly dawned upon him that those black spots may be more dangerous than he thought.

In the barn, wrapped in black silk, were bodies of people. He looked away at the sight of a cocoon holding a teddy bear. Slowly he closes the barn doors behind himself, trying to gather his composure. It wasn't the first time he saw a child die, many died in the last war.

However, he had been a big advocate for children not to be sent off into wars, that young Genin had no place in a war unless it got desperate. That was always one of his gripes with the village elders, not every child was like Kakashi Hatake, a natural born Shinobi, and certainly nothing like himself. But, yet, they believed if they presented the right conditions another few Kakashi and Minato may pop up somewhere.

They never really did, some got strong enough, but many had been killed in the process. It was something Minato grew up with, biting his tongue since he couldn't talk out of line. It pained him, every single day to wake up and see fewer and fewer of his friends coming back from ever increasingly dangerous missions.

He swore that after his best friend died, his teammate, that he wouldn't let the person he loved most in this world die. He made sure to protect Kushina, anytime they were on a mission, his highest priority was to protect her.

And he did so with passion.

The first time he ever talked out of line probably came when the village elders debated on unleashing The Kyūbi on to Iwagakure or Kumogakure. Minato flew into a rage that day, threatening his own life and career when he warned them that if one of them got near her to hurt her, he had no problem being branded a Nukenin.

He loved Konoha, cherished his village, but he loved Kushina much more.

They backed off and Hiruzen, The Sandaime Hokage, agreed with Minato. The matter was dropped, and Minato had secured his greatest victory in the way just a few weeks after. A thousand men and women fell to his kunai.

It was a battle that Konohagakure almost lost, but Minato in a fit of rage and pure emotion slaughtered a combined assault force meant to destroy Konoha. There was nothing they could do, the flashes of gold in the dozens, his shadow clones moving too fast to be stopped.

The darkest moment of his life, where he let go of his angry, became the very one he would be called The Yellow Flash for. People feared him, village leaders feared him even, especially the one from Iwagakure.

However, that was all in the past, and now in the future, Minato was unnerved at the sight he had just seen. Was there a giant predator just taking humans for later, some of those bodies had been drained bone dry.

They had to get out of this village.

Quickly Minato formed a hand seal, "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!"

A few clouds of smoke pop around Minato, as the smoke cleared another one of himself stood there. An exact replica, a shadow of himself. The clones quickly took to what they knew their creator wanted and began to burst into homes. Searching for packs, clothing, and food.

Minato took a deep breath, turning toward the barn, and began to re-enter the horrorfest.

He set about removing the cocoons one by one, cutting them open and removing the bodies. No one deserved to be left like this, and Minato knew if there were other people out there, someone called someone here a loved one.

Quickly he got them outside of the barn, one by one. He then turned around and formed a couple of hand seals before placing his hands on the ground. Taking a deep breath, he held out his right palm, slowly the screeching sound of chakra sounds as a blue ball of energy in his hand form.

He focused more chakra into it, making it bigger, Minato then took aim and slams the Jutsu into the ground just below his feet. A massive tearing sound was audible as Minato blasts away rock and snow. Slowly he made a shallow grave for them, it was seven feet deep, and eight feet wide.

It wasn't much, but it was at least something. Minato watches as Kushina runs out, only to stop when she looked at the bodies.

"Oh, Gods…so this is the villagers?" Kushina inquires as she looked at Minato.

He nods, "some weren't lucky enough to escape…if at all.

Kushina watches as he jumps out of the grave and begins to push some over toward it, watching as he picked up the smaller bodies first. Obviously, some of them were children, it was enough to make Kushina rub her stomach, trying to comfort herself some more.

The redhead watches Minato moved on to the adults, placing them on top of children. He gave a very saddened sigh as he placed the last one in as Kushina watches. He exits the grave, forming hand seals before placing his hand on the ground.

"Doton: Dosenkiryū," Minato called out as he punched the ground.

Slowly a wave of earth washes over the bodies, filling the grave he had made with his Rasengan earlier. The man watches as the fresh mud and earth settled. Kushina walks over toward a wooden fence post at one of the houses and slowly removes one with a symbol on it.

She walks back over toward him, slowly placing the post in the ground. Both got to their knees, they weren't very religious, but these victims needed at least a prayer in order to move on from The Impure World and into The Pure Lands.

Clutching each other's hands, Minato ends the prayer before holding Kushina tightly. She had seen the children, and she began to slowly cry. She wasn't weeping out of fear, it was just that some of them looked so small, like toddlers.

This world had just opened a new fear for her and him.

* * *

Minato and Kushina were sitting in the house, they each had a bowl of food in front of them. Neither one of them ate, instead, they just looked at the pictures laid about and broken across the living room floor.

Wondering if the same girl with a teddy bear in one of them had been one that they buried. Kushina looks at her husband, the massive amount of clothes they shifted through, finding those that would fit them.

"So," Kushina mumbled. "The plan?"

"I managed to have one of my clones secure a map," Minato said as he reached over and grabbed it. "In fact, I've had a couple of clones look two different maps over."

"This is the local area map, according to the other map, a world map if I had to guess. We're on a continent, that continent's name is Anima. Also, just guessing, but we're at the very most north point." Minato tells her while showing their location on the map.

"Now we're about here," he pointed toward where mountains were drawn. "In the part just before we start hitting forests and possibly getting out of the cold."

"If it isn't winter here," Kushina reasoned. "According to this map, there are other villages that scatter a giant one near the center, in fact, two giant ones."

"Yeah, from what I can make of it, we're in a country called Mistral and obviously the capital is Mistral City." Minato agreed as he looked at the map, "our best shot of living through this and not getting killed by the cold among other things is to head directly southeast."

"But that's the thing," Kushina sighed. "We can't possibly know which way."

"Normally you'd be right," Minato produced a compass in his hand when he grabbed it from his pocket, "But we have a compass."

"Either way it'll be one hell of slog through this," Kushina said as she leaned back in her chair. "I hope whatever we run into isn't immune to chakra."

"It won't be, it really shouldn't be, and if it is then I'll get us out," Minato reassures her as he placed on hers.

"Anyway," Minato looked at where the village was marked on the map. "We have two choices, we can head southeast and reach that Capital City we mentioned earlier..."

"Or head northwest and hit a village called Argus." Kushina finished for him.

Minato nods, "want to sleep on it?"

"No," she shook her head. "I want to get out of this place as a soon as possible."

"Right," Minato agreed. "We will live in an hour. Hopefully, if we can sprint, we could be halfway toward one of them by nightfall."

"Well, there's a village just north of that Capital City it looks like," Kushina points out.

"Yeah," Minato realized as he looked at the map. "Wind Path."

"It's the closest thing to us, so we should head for it." Kushina states before getting up and getting her pack together.

She unfurls a scroll she always carried on her, just in case, and formed a single hand seal.

"Kakunō Fū No Jutsu!" Kushina watched as the piles of spare clothes, both hers and Minato's are disappeared into a cloud of smoke.

She looks at him, rubbing the back of her head, "its in with some other stuff I keep in the scroll for safekeeping."

"Good job Kushi-chan," Minato praised as he got his pack. "If that pack starts getting heavy on your I'll create a clone to carry it."

"Right." Kushina nods as she put her pack on.

* * *

Kushina hopped down from the mountain, landing in Minato's arms. They had used their knowledge as Shinobi to climb down the mountain, using chakra to anchor their feet and hands to the side. They had managed to quickly get into the boreal forest, Minato was on edge as he held out a kunai.

"Follow me and stay close Kushina," Minato said in a serious tone of voice.

She took his free hand, "lead the way, Minato-kun."

Both took of running forward, Kushina easily keeping up as they went into the trees. They had learned early on as young Genin and Chunin that the trees were probably the safest place anyone could be. It wasn't on the ground, where a lot of the dark spots seemed to be, with one flying in the air.

Kushina's Uzumaki heritage allowed her to sense chakra, and even lower hers to near nonexistence. It was the perfect recon ability. She was using now, making sure to keep her senses up, Minato's own sensory abilities allowed him to sense movement and chakra.

There were very few things that could ever get past them.

Coming toward a river both stopped, they had secured canteens back in the village and Minato watches as some unusual looking fish swimming in the river. All of them were black, every one of them. They didn't reek of the dark chakra he detected from the black spots, so whatever these fish were, they were normal fish.

Minato watches as one swam toward a school, following the river. It was the totally opposite way of where they needed to go since more than likely that river according to the map he studied would probably lead to the ocean.

Reaching down he filled his canteen first and then grabbed Kushina's to fill hers. She was forming hand seals as she was handed the second canteen. Tucking it under her arms, she took a deep breath.

"Katon: Mizu Wakasu!" Kushina calls forth as the canteens began to heat up, her body heat causing the area around her to steam.

She took a deep breath as the Jutsu ended, she got the canteens hot enough to eliminate most bacteria and parasites that she could think of. Handing Minato his, Minato took a drink from it, the hot contents rushed down in his mouth.

It was a very good feeling to have hot water in a cold wintery area. Minato pocketed his canteen as Kushina drank her, consuming almost the entirety. She pockets hers and looked at him before nodding. They clutched hands before running over the river.

Stepping lightly in the flowing water, almost gliding across it.

* * *

They had found a cave, the night was beginning to fall around the area. Minato and Kushina both had sensed the cave repeatedly, nothing was inside of it. Quickly they made their way inside of it. Kushina unfurled her scroll, dragging out of her seals the few blankets they took and pillows.

Kushina went about setting the bedding area up as Minato dug a small hole in the stone with his Rasengan. When he was finished the man took the stones, piling them back in the pit. He looked at Kushina, smiling at her.

The woman smiled back, "don't be too long, I'm kind of hungry Dattebane."

"Right, wouldn't want you to get angry. Set out what you would like to eat, I'll go grab some firewood, and this time I'll use the Jutsu missy." Minato playfully chastises his wife.

She responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

Exiting the cave Minato saw the boreal forest in front of the cave. He walked into it, quickly gathering loose branches and such. Keeping his sense on high alert, he felt that the black spots were closer than before. He knew he'd probably have to seal the cave tonight with a barrier of some sort.

Stopping Minato took a deep breath and turned on his heel. He felt like something was watching him, no, something was watching him! He looked up at the sky, seeing a large black object flying about. It was one of the spots, and as it flew above him, he took note that the creature must be massive.

Minato grabbed the firewood and ran back toward the cave, he entered it. Kushina looked at him, he seemed tense and watches him as he placed the firewood in the pit.

"Minato…what's wrong?" Kushina inquires as she walked over to him.

Minato looked at her, "those black spots we've been feeling are here, I doubt they're friendly."

"Be careful," Kushina cautioned him. "I can't lose you…"

"You won't, Kushi-chan." Minato held her, then let's go before walking out of the cave.

He turns around, throwing two kunai at the entrance before forming hand seals. He finished on the serpent seal and placed his hands on the ground. A trail of light green light flowed into the kunai before both projected a barrier over the cave entrance.

"Ninpō: Chakra Nankan!" Minato states as the barrier formed, he then turned around as he felt the black spots getting closer.

There was a sense of nervousness of the unknown, but quickly he enacted his time-tested battle strategy. He tossed a kunai where he was standing at before walking forward, he felt those black spots closing in. What was began as a march of sorts, quickly became a full-blown sprint!

Minato could feel it coming, they were coming, and as he reversed gripped his kunai, he saw the first ones came from the trees. It was a giant apelike creature, it roared as it slung itself toward Minato. However, the man quickly went about forming one-handed hand seals, finished on the tiger seal.

"Katon: Endan!" Minato roars out as he shoots flame from his mouth, after forming oil inside of it.

The ball of flames strikes the massive beast, incarnating quickly. Minato turned on his side and dodged a claw of a wolf-like creature before sending his kunai sailing toward it and striking it in the head. He flashed away as several wolf creatures jumped on top of where he would've been.

Pulling his kunai from the beast's head, Minato formed a chakra blade out of it before slicing the beast's head off with it. He was slightly shocked when the beast didn't have any blood spurt out, instead, it just dropped down and began to disappear into black dust.

 _'_ _Familiars? No, these things are too wild to be something like Gamabunta or any of The Toad Clan for that matter.'_ Minato internally reasons with himself before coming back to the fight and quickly dodging the team of beast trying to attack him all at once.

Throwing his kunai past the beasts the man appeared in a yellow flash behind them. They tried to skid to a stop, but Minato formed a Rasengan in both of his hands before slamming the group with it. The blowback from the power of the technique sent the others behind those impacted flying all the same.

He spun on his heel and blocked a punch from another apelike beast before using a chakra enhanced punch to knock it to the ground before grabbing another kunai from his holster and stabbing it in the head.

The beast did like the others had been doing, dissolving into black dust. Minato watches as the one in the air lets out a mighty screech before slamming downward and heading right for him. He wasted no time, forming two shadow clones besides him.

"Combination Jutsu!" Minato ordered them as they began to form hand seals together.

The original Minato readied a kunai and threw it as hard as possible. The kunai soars up and up, going just right past the beast as it came to stop before launching dozens of black feathers out. Minato appeared behind it with a Yellow flash and slammed its back with a Rasengan to send it into freefall.

His clones finished gathering their chakra together.

"Fūton: Kūdan!" One clone roared before launching a blast of air from its mouth.

"Katon: Endan!" The second roared before launching a massive blast of fire from its mouth.

Minato warp back behind his clones, making them disappear as the techniques they used combined. Linking his chakra with the technique, the man formed a hand seal. Slowly the ball of fire grew hotter and hotter as it neared the beast in its freefall.

"Shakuton: Yakekoge Tama!" Minato calls as the sphere explodes.

The ball of fire engulfed the massive beast, easily destroying it. Minato stood there as the flames died down in the air, he took a deep breath and felt nothing else was in the area. If those had been the ones from the village then maybe the villagers had killed the spider one.

Perhaps one of them was able to use silk and just never had the chance.

Either way, it was a victory, and Minato walked toward the cave. There, he saw Kushina already with the fire started. She looked at him, huffing a little bit with crossed arms.

"All this time we've been running from those things," she sounded very annoyed. "And we could've killed them easily without a second thought."

"Well to be fair they aren't half bad, they're just too slow to hit me, and I needed to loosen up. I can safely assure that Jutsu is highly effective against them. But," Minato lowered his head in thought. "Something was off when they died, they disappeared into black smoke."

"Like a summon?" Kushina asks.

"Yeah, like a summon," Minato answers her before smelling the contents of a can poured into a metal bowl.

She looked at him, "dinner is almost ready, what I would give for some ramen…"

"You know," Minato then got a mischievous glint in his eye as replied. "Since we're in a new world they might not know what ramen is."

Kushina looked more horrified than the time she realized that they were in a new world. She sat there, completely in shock, and began to comically weep at all the miso ramen she was never going to have any more.

"Let a girl hope, will you!" Kushina roars as she got annoyed rather quickly at the possibility of never eating a single noodle again.

Minato and Kushina had finished eating dinner, laying down together, they looked toward the cave entrance. There were some stars out that they could see, Kushina had her back hugged into by Minato. She felt him kiss the back of her neck.

All those pleasurable little tingles filtered throughout her body each time, the fire was warm as well. She turned over from the stars and looked Minato in the eyes before kissing him. With all of the stress, and the tension going on the last couple of days, she needed to unwind.

They needed to unwind.

* * *

They did what every other couple and swiftly went about their business. The kissing, the clawing, the love bites. The sweet nothings, the dirty talk, and the cave filled with it all. The heavy breathing, the sounds of lovemaking. Not a sound was missed that echoed off the walls, and of course, Minato made sure to stack their clothes by their "bed" and as he laid his forehead against Kushina's.

Panting, both flushed with pleasure. Minato leaned down, kissing his wife before covering themselves up some more. He held her close.

"Wow…" Minato breathes as he looked at her.

The woman blushed while giggling, "like that huh?"

"Like it? I loved it!" Minato states as he rubbed her cheek, "because I love you."

"Well mister," she playfully jabs her finger into his chest. "Keep making me happy and there'll be more to come."

Minato couldn't help but laugh at her choice of words, and she picked up on it, "we're a couple of closet perverts."

"I'm not a pervert," Kushina mocked, pretending to be hurt. "You read Jiraiya-sensei's books all of the time."

Minato laughs as he kisses her, "and I never heard you complain once."

She perked up, "true…pervert."

"Takes one to know one," Minato retorted as he suddenly felt pushed down. "Wow, hey now."

Kushina brushed some hair out of her face as she got on top of him, "but you're right…I never do complain."

She was growling at him, it was a sensual growl, she leaned down and began to kiss him.

The Namikaze held each other, late into the night.

* * *

 ** _(Jutsu Translations_** _.)_

 ** _Doton_** _(Earth Release)_

 ** _Doton: Dosekiryū (_** _Earth Release: Mud Slide_ _ **)**_

 ** _Shakuton (_** _Scorch Release_ _ **)**_

 ** _Shakuton: Yakekoge Tama (_** _Scorch Release: Scorching Ball) *Note requires Wind Release: Air Bullet and Fire Release: Flame Bullet to use*_

 ** _Fūton (_** _Wind Release)_

 ** _Fūton: Kūdan (_** _Wind Release: Air Bullet)_

 ** _Ninpō_** _(Ninja Art.)_

 ** _Ninpō: Chakra Nankan_** _(Ninja Art: Chakra Barrier.)_

 ** _Katon (_** _Fire Release_ _ **)**_

 ** _Katon: Endan_** _(Fire Release: Flame Bullet.)_

 ** _Katon: Mizu Wakasu *full name is Katon: Mizu Wakasu No Jutsu* (_** _Fire Release: Water Boil/ Fire Release: Water Boiling Technique._ _ **)**_

 _ **Kage Bushin No Jutsu (** Shadow Clone Jutsu/Technique **)**_

 _(Hope you enjoyed this chapter, there is a poll open for the pairing of this story. Your choices are Ruby, Blake, Wiess, and Pyrrha. Simply click my profile name and you'll be taken to my profile where at the top is the vote._

 _New chapter of Screaming Sun in the works*)_


	3. Chapter 3: Wind Path

Minato and Kushina were walking through the snow, slowly, they noticed a temperature shift. It was slowly becoming warmer the further they went south. Cold wind washes over them both, making them huddle together, Kushina had gotten sick that morning.

Morning sickness.

Nothing too serious, but it did give Minato a rude surprise when he woke up to her retching in the inner part of the cave. Taking a moment to look at the various deer swarming around them, and the birds chirping, despite the wintery cold.

They knew that there were no predators in the area, the birds would've been silent.

Kushina had her hair tied back into a ponytail, "do you think Hiruzen-san will try and find us?"

"No doubt," he agreed with his wife. "But until then we've got to think about adapting and surviving."

Minato took a deep breath, "like I said I don't care about my dreams of being Hokage, they're nothing without you in them."

She nods, "do you think she's watching us?"

"Aka?" Minato asked, receiving a nod from Kushina.

He smiles at her, "of course…she'll always be watching over us."

She smiled as she wrapped her hand in his, they got over a hilltop and both stopped when they heard a roaring sound. Kushina didn't feel anything, until now, and felt dozens of different signatures. She grabbed Minato, and both dove down into the snow.

They watch as a massive machine flies over them, bearing the symbol that marked the map's main city. Minato looked at Kushina and smiled as he focused and entered Sennin Mōdo. He picks Kushina up bridal style before running as fast he could.

"Minato?!" She screams, "what are you doing?!"

"Something really stupid got us into this mess," he formed a single-handed hand seal and clone appeared beside him. "A really stupid plan will get us out of the cold at least!"

Kushina watches as the clone threw a copy of Minato's Hirashin Kunai, sending it sailing into the metal body of the machine. A yellow flash engulfed both before they warp and use chakra to grip the sides of the machine. Kushina should've been terrified and probably smacking Minato, but instead, the air and excitement made her smile.

She hadn't felt like a Shinobi in a quite a bit since becoming a housewife.

Gripping the sides, they looked at each other, smiling. Both slowly scaled the machine, finding a flat area where they could stand on. Huddling together, husband and wife noticed that machine was made of metal. But it wasn't steel, instead, it was lighter and less durable. Strange as it was, it probably was the only thing allowing Minato's kunai to stick into it.

Taking a moment to gather themselves they slowly moved around, using chakra to stick to the sides of the ship as to avoid being spotted.

"Shit…" they heard someone say, "you hear about that village up north?"

"Yeah man," another voice said. "Poor bastards, there was a just a couple of people that made it out."

"What the hell attacked it?" the former voice questioned. "I mean it had to be pretty frigging big."

"I keep hearing some new species of Grimm," the latter commented. "Fuck all kinds of duck, like we needed more of them ya know."

"Yeah," the former returned. "I'm at the point if I saw a Tentacle Grimm, I'd just call it par for the course."

"Amen to that brother," there was a sound clanging glass. "Capitan's getting antsy about these skies though."

"Lancer Queens do roam here time to time," a new voice came in with a reply.

"Ah, Qrow is in the house!" the former shouts.

"Yeah, yeah, don't let it cream your pants Periwinkle." The voice, Qrow, brushes off.

Kushina looked at Minato, who looked at her, bringing a finger to his lips as he maneuvered to get a better view. He managed to hear them stepping away, poking head just below the railing to get a look at them. They were human, well, at least looked human. Except for the woman with blue hair, it was a very mild blue.

She had a tail, a monkey's tail.

That's when the name clicked, Periwinkle, either it was her name, or it was a nickname. Minato moved down, nudging his head to let Kushina know it was safe to move. She nods, moving toward what looked like a cargo hold area.

The woman leaned back, looking at a man with black eyes and jet-black hair. If Minato knew better, he'd assume the man standing in front of her was an Uchiha. Slowly, Minato moved to keep an eye on the people before lowering his chakra level to slide down the side of the machine to position himself next to Kushina.

 _"_ _Everything okay?"_ She whispers.

 _"_ _Yeah,"_ Minato replied. _"But whoever they are, they definitely have weapons."_

 _"_ _Great,"_ Kushina lowered her head. _"Why don't we just go for broke?"_

 _"_ _You mean go up to them, and just say hi were two stowaways?"_ Minato smirked as he questions her.

She pouts and punches him lightly on the arm, _"just an idea, they seem to hate those things."_

 _"_ _Yeah, that's true."_ Minato looked at the ground far below them as they went above a large mountain.

 _"_ _Well my bony ass is freezing,"_ Kushina said as she moved closer to what looked like a cargo hatch. _"Let's go in and try to get warm."_

 _"_ _Yeah, but we'll need to change clothes, hide anything with our village's symbol on it. Just in case we must be around other people,"_ Minato moved to where she was and opened the hatch.

* * *

Entering the ship, both breathed a sigh of relief of not happening to use their chakra to survive. For once, they felt safe since getting here. Sure, Minato could easily kill those monsters that came at them, but with how they were talking, there could've been much stronger ones lurking somewhere.

Kushina and Minato threw their packs off, quickly changing out of their wet and soggy clothing and into fresh clothing inside of their packs. Kushina and he stripped quickly, and just as quickly put their new clothes on.

Minato was wearing black cargo pants, big enough to hide his holsters, he had a long-sleeved yellow-green shirt. He made sure to hide any notable scars, and quickly put on some gloves he had taken along with them.

Kushina had put on a red blouse and a blue long skirt. She had no scars, so they didn't need to worry about her. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Minato, who smiles at her.

"Like what you see," she teased.

"Of course," Minato replied with a wink at the end. "But we need to focus."

"Right, um, they said something about a Capitan…maybe this thing is a ship?" Kushina reasons as she rubbed the back of her head.

Minato nods, "an Airship."

"Yeah," Kushina agreed. "I guess they might call this machine that as well."

"Could," Minato reasoned. "But I think we need to keep silent and try to avoid people."

Kushina tied her blouse, but then Minato noticed something that made him curse, "just stay hidden…this is a military vessel."

"How can you tell?" Kushina looked to where he was looking. "Oh…"

There was a healthy number of weapons laying in cargo crates, and Minato rolled his eyes, "figured we'd end up on someone's military machine."

"Our luck has been crap," Kushina lamented before sighing. "So, how do we change our game plan up?"

"Well judging by how fast this thing was going when we got on it we could be near that village named Wind Path." Minato reasons before walking over to cargo hatch.

"So," Kushina looked at the hatch. "We jump for it?"

"Bingo, now get on my back and hold on tightly," Minato tells Kushina as he opens the hatch.

She grabs their bags, putting them around her waist and over her back. It was nice to feel warmth for once since getting here, she clutched onto him as they dove out of the hatch. Minato turned around and formed a single hand seal.

"Fūton: Kūdan!" He yells before blasting a jet of air from his mouth.

The hatch slammed shut from the force, making him smiled as Kushina felt the air rush around him as he backflipped to adjust himself to where the ground was going to be. He noticed that when they got near the ground they'd be on a slope.

Minato, ever crafty, decided to use this to his advantage and applied chakra to his feet. Kushina locked her legs around his waist as the man landed in a slide. Snow shot all around them, the packed snow blasted all around them as he adjusts himself to control the slide.

"Woohoo!" Kushina screams out her excitement.

He smiles, "having fun Kushi-chan?"

"A little," she sheepishly answered. "hill!"

Minato managed to pull himself up out of the slide and ran a full sprint while holding Kushina by her thighs and with his chakra. He jumps at the peak of the hill, gaining a significant amount of height. Both felt the air rush over them as they saw the village of Wind Path.

It had to be and judging by some of the same types of machines flying over it, it was a living village!

Husband and wife held onto each other as he landed on the ground, sliding to a stop. Snow fell around them; Minato's left side was completely dirty from sliding in some wet mud. He smiled nonetheless and looked over at his wife.

She smiled, she was totally clean and laughed as she got some mud off his side and poked him on the nose with it. She sighed afterward, looking at the village's high wall. Quickly the hopes of the couple slowly faded into reality, they stood there, questioning if this was the right move.

Slowly Kushina took his hand and squeezes it, both him and her look at each other, nodding. They took a step forward and didn't look back.

* * *

Wind Path was not a big village, not as big as one may have thought, but it was decent. Minato and Kushina walked around the area, some men looked at Kushina with lustful eyes, one even whistling at her as they walked by.

She could handle herself no doubt, but Minato kept close to her. Both made their way by following signs across the village and soon found themselves in a market area. Minato discovered that some of the people around them weren't human but had animal traits.

He didn't want to openly question it, because they'd be very suspicious if he didn't know what they were. Walking slowly, many of the people went about their daily lives and Minato saw some gambling on the street.

Cups, dice, it wasn't really that different from his own world after all. This world and his was similar, the bustling was the same, even if the streets were dirtier and the people a little strange. He then saw a sign. Quickly they walked over toward it, it was pointed toward a rather large building.

"It's got to be an inn," Kushina pointed out as she looked at it before whispering. _"As much as this world is similar to ours…verbally their written language is not the same."_

Minato nods, unlike Kanji of his world, this world's written language was very different. As far as he could tell, perhaps at the very least, it seemed simple. However, not wanting to assume anything, the duo walked toward the building.

If they were wrong what was the worst someone would think? Two outsiders had just gotten lost.

* * *

They walked up to the door and opened it up, being met the sounds of someone fighting with someone in a ring of some kind. Minato grabbed Kushina and moved her out of the way as the much larger man threw the smaller one out of the door.

"Yeah!" the crowd around the ring cheered.

The large beats his chest, roaring out in victory, the sound of instruments coming from a radio of some kind filled the room as the man left the ring. He was built like a giant and Minato watches as he got a large glass of brown liquid. The man downed it in one go, throwing the glass to the floor.

"Goddamn it, Vern, the fuckin' whiskey is sour daft bastard!" The man roars as he grabs the barkeep.

He had a heavy accent, "can't you do a goddamn thing right?!"

"Sorry sir," the barkeep meekly said as he held his hands. "Your rooms ready."

"Good, at least you can get that in order." The man insults as he took a bottle from behind the barkeep.

"Sir," the man glares at him, "you have to pay for that first."

"This is a fuckin' whorehouse mate," the burly man poured the drink on the barkeep. "Besides I run this joint with my posse."

Minato watches as the barkeep seemingly surrendered as the man went upstairs, "hope your whores offer better service, Vern!"

Vern lowered his head in shame, watching as a couple came walking toward the bar. "Hello…how can I help you?"

"Are there any rooms available?" Minato inquires as he looked at the barkeep.

The barkeep was an older man, his hair was green in color, but faded with some gray. His eyes were a dull green, and he wore a relatively nice suit and black pants. The barkeep sighed, looking at the couple with a forced smile.

The barkeep nods, "yes, but it'll cost fifty liens."

 _'_ _Liens?'_ Minato and Kushina looked at each other before Minato spoke up, "would you be willing to trade?"

"Hmm," Vern hummed. "Perhaps, but what is it you're offering?"

Minato reached into his pocket, grabbing some crystals his clones had found in the home. Vern looked back at him, and then looked at the crystals.

"Dust?" Vern questioned as he looked at them. "Shit, not a bad offer, considering that it is gravity Dust."

"How long do we have?" Minato inquires as he crossed his arms, "given that the man that treated you like a servant said it was a whorehouse."

"Look," Vern sighed. "Hawk's claw isn't a whorehouse, its an inn…that bastard Moby moved his gang in."

"Moby? The large guy." Minato wanted to clarify.

"Yeah, Moby, he's a frigging prick if there ever was one. Built like the legendary Grimm Whale of the northern oceans of Solidus. However, he's only acting this way because his boys are upstairs, and he knows he has run of this bloody place." Vern growls as he slammed a beer on the bar, "wanna beer?"

 _'_ _Beer?'_ Minato looked at the bottle, "no thanks."

"Right then, um, listen, guy, you seem to not be from around here. Wind Path is not a place for good folk, if you're good folk you should get up and leave early. Thieves, murderers, and pricks like Moby run this village." Vern told Minato and Kushina, "and especially for her sake."

"My sake?" Kushina questioned.

"Call it an old man's intuition but my dear you're glowing brighter than the sun," Vern laughed. "Aye, I remember when my lady had our first, he's off being a Huntsman somewhere in this wretched world."

"Oh, well…you're correct I am expecting." Kushina gushes as she rubbed the back of her head, "is there any chance I can get some water?"

"Why of course, water is free by the way ma'am." Vern hands her a glass as he spoke, "please take care of yourself."

Vern bends down and grabs a key, "your room is two-twelve."

"Thank you…Vern?" Minato questions.

"Yeppers," Vern then heard crashing. "Oh, what the hell is it now?"

 _"_ _Get aware from me!"_ A girl screams as she runs down the stairs and into the crowd of men.

She had a fox's tail, which was red, contrasting her green hair. "Dad, keep that guy away from me!"

Vern moved toward his strange daughter pushing her behind the bar as Moby came down the steps. He was bleeding from his nose, glaring at the girl. The girl backed up, looking at the man, she was shaking all over and part of her clothes was ripped.

Kushina felt sorry for her, enough to reach into her pack and pull out a hoodie for the girl to wear. She looked at the redhead, nodding, and mouthing a 'thank you' before slipping it over her head. Moby wasn't too please and pointed at the mother to be.

"Hey, redhead, don't give that whore nothin' ya hear me!" Moby shouts at Kushina before walking towards them.

Minato looked at her and then stood in front of her, "we don't want any trouble."

"Then give me that damn Faunus whore behind you," Moby tried to reach past Minato only for the much smaller man to push him back.

The crowd in the bar went silent, some people ran outside. Moby glares at Minato, the man then looks over his shoulder to see the girl whimpering. Kushina was let behind the bar by Vern, who watches as she walks over toward his daughter.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kushina inquires as she user her water and a napkin to rub an abrasion on the girl's face.

She shakes her head, "he tried…he tried to…"

Vern growls, "Midori, its okay we'll just sell the bar and leave…that's what you've been wanting right, Moby?"

"As I said, it's a whorehouse, my whorehouse." Moby stated and then looked at Kushina, "and I think if you leave now, I'll just trade your kid for that woman."

Within a blink of an eye Minato already had a kunai against the man's neck, near the artery. Everyone was stunned silent; the man's eyes were vibrant with rage. Slowly he pressed the kunai's blade and nicked the man's neck for emphasizing the control he held over his life.

Moby didn't dare speak, he could feel some blood dripping down his neck. He hadn't even been able to follow the movement of the man, just that one second the blonde had been standing by the bar and the next he was slightly past him with a blade against his neck.

"Listen up," Minato growled. "I'll only say it once."

"If you think about touching my wife, so much as shoot her a glance I'll cut your throat open. I've killed many men before you, some bigger, many smarter. You can try to play this out, but you'll be gutted and hanged outside for all to see." Minato pushes the kunai deeper, "and despite where I got my knife at…I'll make sure to make it very slow and very _painful_."

Moby shook, "b-b-ba-bastard."

"Boss!" A few men came running downstairs, glaring at Minato as some pulled out guns.

Former Hokage of Konoha looked at them, "your next words determine if you and your men will walk out of here alive…"

Moby glares down at Minato, "your bluffing!"

He then glared at Kushina, "I'll kill her and you!"

Minato's response was swift and fatal. Everyone stepped back as Minato merely took one more step and severed the man's common carotid artery in one swift motion. There was no huge spray of blood, but as Minato steps forward once more he throws his kunai to the group with the guns. In a yellow flash of light, he appears behind them as they squeezed the trigger.

A round of shots rings out as Kushina ducked behind the bar and dragged Vern and his daughter with her. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Minato slashed into the vital areas of the first's gunman's body. Easily killing him before turning on his heel and stabbing his kunai into the throat of another gunman.

Moby had just now started to fall forward, clenching his neck. He watches as the blonde sliced through his men like they were nothing, in a dance of death. Minato finished on the last one within mere seconds of the fatal blow of the giant man.

Their bodies fell, almost in synch and order, first Moby hit the ground and then followed by his gunmen and then the one wielding a sword. Minato had some blood on his clothes, the crowd in the bar looked at him. He was breathing hard, he then took a deep breath to calm himself and everything to seem to flow normally now.

"Holy Gods…" a man spoke as he looked at Minato, "so…fast."

A woman walked over toward Moby's body, but instead of checking it she just kicked him several times. It was possible she was one of the man's victims. She kicked him hard enough to break his neck for good measure and looked toward Minato and then the barkeep.

Midori was looking on completely in shock, Moby was a tough man, and even muscled any local LEOs out of Wind Path. However, whoever this blonde man was, he had just slain him in mere seconds. It was a statement in her eyes, this man wasn't acting tough when he said those words, he meant every one of them.

All, except, for the ones of keeping Moby alive to slowly kill him. Minato stood there, looking back at the crowd, and they all looked at him. Slowly, some people walked over towards the bodies and began to drag them outside.

One of the people standing there looked at Minato, "if you're worried about getting in trouble here for this…well Wind Path has its own system of handling stuff like this."

"I gave him one warning," Minato said as he took a deep breath. "It doesn't mean I like doing what I had to do."

"No one ever does," the man agreed. "However, Moby was an ass of a man. So, in a way, you did us all a favor."

"And the favor in kind is keeping your mouths shut?" Minato guesses.

The man chuckles, "right on the money."

He looks at Moby's body, "Moby was strong in a fair fight, but if he had someone beating him, he'd call in his boys."

"All of that big muscle," he looked toward Midori, "and yet he was a coward."

The man nods, "by the way if you're looking for work, I may have some…"

"Pass," Minato replied with a stern glare. "I only kill in self-defense, and I have a moral code."

"Suit yourself," the gray-eyed man shrugs, "by the way you really need to get cleaned up…Vern!"

"Yes, Mr. Black, what is it?" Vern asked.

"Give this man a few nights, the finest food you got, did me a favor getting rid of that smug bastard anyhow since he was my target." Mr. Black said and then tipped his hat toward Kushina and winked with gray eyes, "later on there little lady."

Minato watches as the man walks out, he had been an assassin sent to kill Moby? That's when Minato turned towards Vern, who looked at them and lowered his head. The older man probably hired that very man, and it was just dumb luck that Minato got here in time to probably stop a bloodbath.

Vern sighs, "like I said before Wind Path is not a village of good folk."

"Well, we'll gladly take up his offer, but only for a night…we plan to head to…um Mistral City." Kushina points at the map just behind the bar.

"Ahh, well that's good, well then go to your room and I'll have a barmaid bring your food up." Vern waved them off, and then looked at Minato with a nod.

He smiled, "I never did catch your name?"

Minato frowns and looked at the man, "if you heard what I said then that's a good thing."

"Fair enough, I dare say you'd fit right in, but you seem to be cut from a clothe just a shade too light for this place."

* * *

Minato and Kushina sat on the bed, it wasn't very big, but it was enough for them. She took a deep breath as he had freshly just changed his clothes. He had discarded his dirty ones, no real way to clean them, and besides, they weren't his, to begin with.

"Minato what you did back there almost gave us away," Kushina chided lightly as she sighs. "But I'm glad you did, that girl's face…I couldn't imagine…I'd murder someone if it was my daughter."

He nods in agreement with his wife, "I know, and I guess I let my anger get the best of me sometimes."

"We both do," she giggled as he clutches her hand. "We're made for each other you know; can't wait to see what our kid will look like."

"I just hope he has your smile, everything else is up to the Gods," Minato replies before clutching her closer to him.

She sighs, "I wonder if Mikoto-chan is driving herself mad trying to get news about me?"

"I wonder the same for Jiraiya-sensei," Minato lamented while lowering his head. "If we can find a way back home, we'll do so."

"Yeah…but what if we can't?" Kushina questioned him. "We don't belong here, and obviously we stand out like a sore thumb somewhat since we didn't know what beer was."

He nods and then looked at the ground, "I fear that this world will take to hostility over outsiders than kindness."

"Maybe," Kushina intertwined their fingers. "But it's a world with endless possibilities. Being honest Minato…I was scared, scared of bringing a child into our world."

"The constant fighting, the constant blood feuds, and hatred. Minato," she took a deep breath. "I never regret becoming a Shinobi, but I grew weary of it when Obito…died…and then Rin."

Kushina slowly started to tear up, "Rin and Obito will always be considered my kids, I loved them both so much…"

Minato felt his own tears well up, "wasn't Rin the one that offered the name up for Aka?"

"She did," Kushina remembered. "She told me if Aka was born with my hair, then we could've called her Akahana."

Minato laughs at the memory, "and then suggested if Aka was born with my hair, we'd call Kihana."

She chuckled as she remembers the bright and happy girl, "why did she get turned into a Jinchuuriki and used as a weapon…that must've been hell."

"I wasn't there," Minato laments as he lowered his head, "if I had…perhaps…"

There was a knock on their door, Minato raised a finger up and suddenly the room glowed before he walks over toward the door. He opened it to find Midori standing there, she looked at them both. Midori wasn't a young girl, more of an older teenager.

She surprised Kushina when she extended her hand out, "I have your food…I just wanted to thank you."

"For?" Minato inquired.

"Father was going to give Mr. Black the bar," she revealed. "Yet, you came in and did the right thing."

"I know I did the right thing, are you alright…Midori?" Minato managed to recall her name since it was common from their world.

She nods, "yes, nothing but a few bruises…good riddance to that bastard."

"My father gave your wife some extra food since she's with a child. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl yet, madame?" Midori inquires.

Kushina shook her head, "no, still a little too early."

"I see…" Midori then smiles brightly, "I just hope that any child you two have grows up to be like its father."

Her tail was wagging, which threw Kushina off a little, she thought it was fake for a moment. The girl took notice and blushed a little.

"Forgive me, my tail has a bad habit of wagging when I'm excited, mom had the same problem…before…well…" she bit her lip, "before gangs started taking over Wind Path."

"I see…" Minato felt horrible for her, "are you sure you're alright, Midori?"

"Yeah, totally, I'll be fine. Here," she carts their food in. "If you want seconds, I'll foot the bill…"

"No need, you just go lay down somewhere and rest, you look like you could use it." Kushina called from over Minato's shoulder, "and your dad should agree with me."

"Yes Ma'am," she nods and walks off.

Minato closes the door, activating the seals across the room he had made with the help of clones. The man took a deep breath and opened their trays. The food was…ramen?!

Kushina grabbed her plate and bowl, the plate had bread on it, obviously to be dipped in the ramen. She ate the bread and soup greedily as if it had been water. Minato did the same, it would seem like their luck was turning around.

The pair quickly finished their meal, drinking the broth, and Kushina giving a loud belch to signify her gratitude with the meal.

"Oh, thank Gods, ramen exists!" She praises the gods she knew.

Minato chuckles as he took their dishes and placed them on the cart near the door. He discovered a sign on his doorknob, he couldn't read it. Sadly, but it had hearts on it, so it implied something. He looked at Kushina and shook his head.

Neither of them was in the mood, and besides, they sort of went at it like rabbits back in the cave.

The redhead giggled a little, "someone had a thought?"

"A little Kushi-chan, just a little." Minato sat by her and looked at her, "I love you…"

"I love you too," Kushina replies before resting her head on his shoulder.

Minato clutches her closer to himself, "we'll find a way to make it here…if we can't get home."

* * *

 _(Jutsu Translations)_

 ** _Fūton: Kūdan (_** _Wind Release: Air Bullet_ _ **)**_

 _Authors note #1: Someone asked why Minato has Scorch Release (Shakuton) and to answer that question he doesn't. Remember high elements transformations can be created manually if someone combines the elemental Jutsu in just the right way. Just like one of Naruto's and Sasuke's combined attacks is called Scorch Release. Minato can only use it in conjunction with clones, thusly it's not true Scorch Release but more a mimic._

 _Authors note#2: I lost my buddy, the dog in my profile pic is him. He was put to sleep this last Friday morning. He was more of a baby than buddy. Do me a favor and clutch your doggo and fur-babies tonight…or anytime you're near them._

 _They're never around forever, and we always take them for granted._

 _Authors note#3: The Pairing Poll closes in three weeks, and currently Ruby leads with a very narrow lead. If you have a phone you can simply hit "desktop mode" found on the lower righthand of the webpage on my profile. To switch it back simply click the phone icon on the upper middle of the webpage that appears afterwards._

 _Current Poll Places._

 _1._ _Ruby Rose_

 _2._ _Pyrrha Nikos_

 _3._ _Weiss Schnee_

 _4._ _Blake Belladonna (kind of sad she only has four votes…)_


	4. Chapter 4: Alien

Midori walks up toward the couple's room. She had some food, they had stayed there a couple of days. The man, Minato, as he told her was working security for the bar for the past two days. Just in case Moby had more cronies. But, alas, none showed up.

Minato opened the door before she even knocked on it, "your food is ready sir."

"Thank you, Midori," Minato thanked the girl before sliding the cart inside. "I wish to thank you for all that your father and you have done for us, but since you've chosen food over payment I can't think of anyway."

"Well," Midori rubbed the back of her head, "my brother called from Mistral City."

"And?" Minato wanted her to continue.

She chuckles a little bit, "my brother has got a really nice house and wants me to move me and my father there."

"So," Minato reasoned. "You want me to help you move your stuff into Mistral City…what about the bar?"

"Dad is coming to terms that this place is too dangerous," Midori sighed. "It's kind of sad, if the gangs weren't here, we'd never have to move."

The blonde-haired man looked at her, "how many gangs are here?"

"Well, there's a lot, I can't count them all. Some are just street thugs, others are assassins, its not worth the trouble being here anymore." Midori looks down and took a deep breath, "my dad poured his heart and soul into this place."

Minato frowns, noting her face scrunching up, holding back tears. She took a deep another deep breath, composing herself and walking away. He slid the cart into the room, looking at Kushina, it was more ramen. She was sitting on the bed, holding a cloth over her lap, and one laid by her side for Minato.

He sat by her and got their bowls out. She quickly used the utensil called a fork and began to eat it, she twirled the noodles around it to take big clumps in her mouth. He stares at his bowl, then looks at her, slowly he moved his hand over towards hers and grasps it.

She looks up at him, "something wrong, Minato?"

"I was thinking of something," Minato answered as he looked at her. "Our baby, names and all."

"Well," Kushina lowered her head, "what did you have in mind?"

"Well, if it's a boy I have a name." Minato reached toward the small nightstand and got out a novel.

Kushina rolls her eyes, "from one of his perverted books?"

"No," Minato pointed out the title. "It's the first one he wrote."

"Oh," Kushina breathed as she looked at it. "So, what?"

"If it is a boy, regardless of what he looks like, can we name him Naruto?" Minato asks as he moved his hand toward her belly.

She chuckles a little bit, "fine, but if it's a girl I want to name her Himawari if she has blonde hair or if she had my hair how about Arahana?"

"Arahana…Storm Flower," Minato muses over the name, "I like it."

"So," she giggled. "Naruto or Arahana."

"Yep, but I think we should eat and get some rest. Midori-san is going to the larger village of Mistral City," Minato replied as he went back to his noodles. "I feel horrible for them though…all of this work and they're forced to uproot themselves."

Kushina frowns as she looked at the room, they had obviously seen better days. She looks at Minato before smiling and then places her bowl on the cart. Getting up and stretching, she looks at him in the eye.

"What if we just did them a solid?" Kushina questions as she looked at the vanity mirror.

"You mean clean house," Minato answered as he got up as well. "It is very risky…considering."

"Minato, I'm in the first trimester, it's not like I'm about to pop!" Kushina stated as she activated the silencing seals in their room.

She looks right at him, "regardless of who we are, we can't just stop being good people because of a bad situation."

"These types of situations bring out the best of us, or the worse, and I would love to see it bring out the best in us." Kushina rants as she walks back over toward him, "Minato…we can do good."

Minato lowered his head and then looked at Kushina, "by doing what?"

"We can easily clear out the gangs here," Kushina reasoned. "It wouldn't be too difficult!"

"Kushina, as much as I want too, what if these people don't know what Ninjutsu is? What if they look us no different than a lot of people looked at most Jinchuuriki…we wouldn't be safe, no matter where we would go!" Minato's argues as he looked at his wife, "we need to do what little we can, but we can't just go out being heroes."

"But people like Midori and her father suffer, it's not fair…why do they have to suffer?!" Kushina yells as she looked at Minato, "if we can't find a way home…I don't want my child growing up believing we couldn't make a difference."

"Kindness begets kindness," Kushina says as she holds her stomach, "why should they be forced out?"

Minato pinches his nose, pacing as he looked at her. Sighing he walks over and wraps her in a tight hug and rocks her back and forth. She slowly begins to start crying, going through a mood swing, she sobs into his shoulder.

He speaks up, " it is not that I don't want to help…I do…"

"But," he comforts her, "I see where you're coming from. I hate seeing people getting pushed down, and if I could do it without putting you at risk, I would."

"We need to learn more about this world before we can make changes," Minato reasoned as he moved her toward the bed, so they could sit down. "We will stay in Mistral City a couple of months…if Konoha can't find us by then we'll make long term plans."

"Does that include helping people?" Kushina asked as he looked at the food on the cart, they had been eating for free.

He nods, "yes, yes it does."

Minato took a deep breath, gathering himself, "but I think I could do something."

She looked at him, "what could we do?"

"We can escort them to Mistral City," Minato offered up. "There might be more of those creatures along the way."

"I think Midori mentioned them, Grimm, those creatures you fought outside of the cave," Kushina reveals as she sat on the bed, in his arms.

She looks at Minato, "I also found out some things while talking to her. Apparently, months and days are the same in this world as ours."

"So, October is still October?" Minato asks as he leaned his head on her shoulder.

"It is," she confirms while leaning her head onto his.

Minato took a deep breath, "perhaps our Gods created this world as well?"

"Perhaps," Kushina agreed. "But that's a question that can only be answered in due time."

"'Nother thing that has me curious is the lack of security here, I get what Vern-san said about police forces getting chased out…these LEO he calls them…I just can't imagine a police force abandoning any settlement back home." Minato says while looking into the vanity mirror.

He took a deep breath, "I got us into one big mess, and there might not be a way to undo it…"

"We've talked about this," Kushina reassured him as she massaged his shoulders. "We will do what we can, and if we cannot return to our world, perhaps fate has led us here?"

"I thought you didn't believe in fate?" Minato questions as he looked at her.

"And I didn't believe in another world, especially one that is so similar…yet so different from ours." Kushina shot back gently, "but maybe we ended up here on a stroke of luck and not some barren place."

"True," Minato nodded as he agreed with her, moaning a little bit as he felt the tense muscles loosen up in his shoulders.

His wife giggles a little, "Tsunade showed me a trick with some Medical Ninjutsu."

"So," Minato laughed a little bit. "That's why your massage always felt so…good…"

He yawns, "oh man I'm tired."

Minato suddenly turns around and kissed Kushina, the two spent a few moments in liplock. After breaking the kiss, the duo decided they had to get some sleep, so stripping down to near nudity both climbed into bed and grasp each other.

It was cold in the room, but warm under their sheets.

* * *

Minato was at the rear of the small little group, it had been a few days since Midori's announcement of her and her dad's wish to move toward Mistral. The blonde-haired man was staying isolated, bringing up the idea that most enemies would come from the rear.

Taking his time, he looked down from the trees, watching as Kushina was helping Midori lug some packages. Her father had a single horse cart moving along the dirt road, he said it led toward the Capital City. Landing near her he walks beside her for a moment.

"So far nothing yet," Minato reported in as he walked backward. "Everything good here?"

"Yes," Kushina answered with a smile.

He looks at Midori who was helping her father lug a pack, Minato bit his tongue and sighed. He formed a hand seal, and they turned when a pop of smoke appeared. Several Minato clones stood in just in front of their creator.

"Cool!" Midori yells as she looked at them.

Kushina was slightly stunned, "um, yeah…that's cool, it's a technique of his."

"Oh, that's his semblance?!" Midori screeched in excitement.

 _'_ _Semblance?'_ Minato questioned in his mind, "um…yeah."

"So," the girl looked at them, "are you, two Huntsmen?"

"Maybe," Kushina answered. "Is that important?"

"Well it makes sense why you wouldn't be so willing to give out your name, Huntsmen aren't liked in Wind Fall. I completely take back what I said earlier, you're cut from a purer cloth, but truth be told Huntsmen in Mistral are not really coming around Wind Fall unless there's money to be made." Vern explains as he revealed some information to Minato and Kushina.

Both looked at each other, deciding to roll with it a little.

Minato looks at the man, "so, what happened to your village's Huntsmen?"

"The Gangs…well a lot of the Huntsmen there went missing. You can kind of guess what happened, the assassins there pretty much matched any experts that were in the village, and the newer ones didn't stand a chance against a larger force." Vern sighs as he looked at Minato, "it was a slaughter."

The man frowns as he looked at Vern, "my wife was a Huntress and had been one of the victims."

"My only son, Verdant, went off to Sanctum and recently graduated. He hopes to one day go back and avenge his mother, but I don't see the point in revenge. There's too many of them, so few of us, those people aren't any better than Grimm." Vern kept telling Minato as he slowed his horse down near a river.

Vern looked at Minato, "the life you must lead is pretty dangerous, and your wife has no business wondering with you…"

"Well," Minato rubbed the back of his head as he spoke, "we didn't believe in settling down until we had our first kid."

"I just told him that I was pregnant last week," Kushina revealed while rubbing her stomach. "Most women in my family have a genetic condition that delays birth anyhow."

"Oh, so, you carry a baby for like ten months or something?" Midori asked while they walked.

Kushina nods as she looked at them as she lugs the pack over her shoulder, "that's correct."

"Oof, I couldn't imagine carrying a baby that long!" Midori gasps as she imagined herself going through almost a whole year of carrying a child.

"So that makes your due date in October," Vern said as filled the canteens up. "A Libra Baby."

"Libra?" Minato inquires as he made his clones take Midori's and Kushina's packs.

Midori rolls her eyes, "dad has a belief in those signs. The Zodiac Signs, like a Leo like him, is supposed to brave and courageous."

"Well excuse me," Vern barked a little. "I didn't seem to hear you complaining about being a Leo on your birthday!"

"Yeah, sorry dad, but Libras are supposedly born balanced. Kindness is a given, and incredibly their good nature makes them successful. My brother is a Libra Baby." Midori told them as she smiled brightly.

"Huh," Kushina breathes with a smile as she was handed a canteen, "that's neat."

Minato agrees with a nod, "it is, how far until Mistral City?"

"Uh, give or take a few hours. The giant walls of the city will become evident once we get over these low mountains. In fact, the city will be visible because of the twin mountains it was built on, and you should start to see more Bullhead and Airship traffic." Vern reveals as he got ready to down his canteen.

He stops when something catches his eye, a glint from a heavily wooded area of pine trees. He watches the glint move, aiming at someone. His eyes widened when he realized that it was aiming at the redheaded woman, Kushina.

He leaps from his cart, "get down!"

Minato springs into action, but it was too late as the loud crack filled the air. He turns around just in time to see the bullet fly past him and right toward Kushina. Her eyes widened, she was totally unprepared for it.

Vern, however, pushes her out of the way, the old man then fell to the ground as the round struck. It was a critical shot. Kushina looked at the man as his daughter collapsed to her knees over him, she began to sob as she held his hand.

He had been nice to them since they arrived…and in the blink of an eye... She grits her teeth, looking over at Minato as her eyes turn red. Everything became hypersensitive. Smelling, hearing, eyesight, all the basic senses were heightened to extremes as anger flowed through her.

"Father no!" Midori screams as the man gasps, holding her hand.

Minato blocks the other bullet heading for the girl but suddenly sees a chain fly past him. He turns around to see Kushina, a red cloak around her. The chain had a red cloak of energy around it as well as it sought out her target.

She felt it slam around the target before tugging him out the trees. He flew toward her waiting hand, which gripped around his neck. He couldn't react fast enough before Kushina roars out and throws him to the ground.

"Charge!" A man shouts as several men came running from the heavy forested area.

Midori grips her father's hand as he went limp, sobbing before reaching down and grabbing her father's gun. She points it right at the men charging, squeezing the trigger and firing a few rounds their way before taking cover behind the cart.

Minato and Kushina, however, dodged gunfire as they charged toward the bandits. When Kushina was like this there was nothing much that could hurt her or dissuade her actions to follow. More chains formed around her as she sent them forward.

The chains crashed into several people, impaling them against trees before Kushina started to form hand seals. Minato's eyes widened as she did, realizing that if she unleashed a Jutsu it would break whatever cover they had with Midori.

"Kushina don't!" His words fell on deaf ears as she finishes the final hand seal.

"Burn in hell you bastards!" She screams before chakra erupted around her, forming several fireballs.

The fireballs took the shape of ghouls as they spun around her back, she locked on to her targets!

"Katon: Onidōrō!" The woman screams as the fireballs launched from behind her.

The men standing in the trees, holding the guns all tried to retreat. It was to no avail as when the flamelike ghouls hit the trees it caused the entire structure to burst into flames. They died screaming, rolling around as their bodies were alight with flames.

The men charging toward Minato only had a precious few seconds to react as Minato's clones ran from behind him. The clones leaped into battle, throwing the kunai marked with the seal. They slaughtered the charging men with a brilliant display of yellow flashes, figuring that since Kushina used a Jutsu they didn't really have to hide what they could do.

Minato stood there, several trees were on fire. All the men that had just to ambush them, to quickly take them out, were all dead. He had gotten distracted, the talk about their child had distracted him long enough for someone to sneak inside.

He watches as Kushina started to calm down, she sees the one she grabbed from earlier start to get up. He went for a smaller gun at his side only for her husband to appear in front of him and take it away. Minato was beyond livid and stabbed the man in the stomach.

 _"_ _Look at him,"_ Minato whispered into the man's ear. _"You scum…look at the father you just killed…"_

"I'm…sorry…" the scumbag moans in pain.

Minato pulls his kunai out of the man's stomach. Instead of being let go to limp off somewhere the Shinobi simply reversed his grip on the kunai and sliced the man's neck open! The scumbag gripped his neck, a badge depicting a white whale was evident on his jacket, one of Moby's men. As his life force drained forth from his neck, the man keeled over.

Vern was barely breathing as Kushina went to his side, he looked at his daughter who came out from behind the cart. He looked at Minato but then watches as Kushina formed several gestures with her hands. She then had a green glow come around her hands, pressing her palms against his stomach.

"Shōsen Jutsu," Kushina called out slowly.

The sound of humming ringed from her palms as the wound on Vern began to close. Slowly, the man's breathing began to normalize. His eyes open, they were wide as could be as he felt the round in the wound fall out of him. He watches as Kushina's hands stopped glowing green, she looked at them.

Midori held her father's hand as he raises up, "lass…what did you…do?"

Minato took a deep breath, "can you promise us that your word unbreakable?"

"You just saved my life, my daughter's life, I owe you a debt…" Vern breathes as his daughter helped him sit up.

He looked at them, "but your abilities…I've never seen anything like them."

The blonde-haired man just sighed, "my wife wasn't supposed to do that…those chains."

"We're not Huntsmen. We didn't mean to deceive you, we just couldn't trust anyone. We're not from here," Kushina stammered out while rubbing her arm.

"So," Vern said as he looked at her. "Vacuo, Atlas…Vale?"

"We never heard any of those places, the truth is, this isn't…our world. I made a mistake, and with that mistake, I accidentally teleported me and my pregnant wife here." Minato reveals as he sat on the ground, nervous.

Midori's eyes widened as she shouted, "you're aliens?!"

"Well," Kushina bops her head side to side, "not…really. We're human, your father is human, you have a chakra signature…we've got chakra signatures."

"Gods be praised, then there is other life they created, and you're _it!"_ Midori gushes as she looks at them.

Kushina sighs, "Midori-san…san is what we use as honorific for respect between one another."

"I'm scared to tell you this, I don't know how your world would react. We're outlanders, people that shouldn't be here, but are…you understand?" Kushina explains as she looked at the girl.

"I think, us Faunus weren't really treated like humans until recently…" Midori recalls her heritage, her tail wagging a little.

"That's terrible," Minato replied with a frown. "You seem like a person to me, you're a loving daughter at the very least."

"Thank you," Midori said with a small smile. "Your angels."

"Angels?" Kushina inquires as she rubbed the back of her head.

That was a new word.

"In our version of The Gods, they were guarded and served by angels, people who did either terrible things…or miracles. I think you're our angels, you just saved my dad's life, I should be burying him right now!" Midori exclaims as she points out his wound.

Vern chuckles, "jeez…love you too fish bait…"

"Wait!" Midori suddenly realizes something, "do you even know what aura is?"

"No, we know what chakra is, but not this aura you're talking about," Minato tells Midori as he got up, helping Vern up as well.

Kushina felt a tingle in the back of her head, "we've gotta go…I sense something coming our way."

"Grimm," hissed Midori as she readied her gun. "They'll be here shortly because of all the negativity…"

Minato looked at them, "they're easy to kill for us."

"For you," Kushina corrected as she got on the cart. "I'm kind of wiped…since I'm pregnant the strain of chakra use is tremendous on me."

Minato rolls his eyes, "the one time I ask you to do something…"

She stuck her tongue playfully at him before looking at Midori, "Midori-san…please get on the cart Minato-kun can take care of the rest."

Just then a few wolf Grimm crash through the burnt trees, they howl as they spot the traveling troop. Minato formed a couple of clones that went and engaged the beasts as he stuck close to the cart. All the while Midori was watching, amazed beyond belief at their abilities.

* * *

Mistral City was huge and vast, much bigger than a hidden village from their world. During the hours of riding, and carrying packs of clothing and items, they had begun to learn about the world they inhabited. How there hadn't been any wars for nearly seventy years. How the cities came to be, and the legendary king that won the last war and how he changed the world.

Kushina wasn't the scholarly type, but Minato was heavily interested in the subject. He explained how chakra worked, finding a similarity in how chakra formed, and aura was generated. As they rode up a large stair, meant to handle carts, the bumping made Midori burp.

Vern laughs, "better out then in sweetie."

Midori merely rolls her eyes, blushing in embarrassment. "So…this chakra thing you all have how is it formed?"

"You already have it, everyone and every living thing naturally form chakra. However, your Huntsmen and my Shinobi are very different. While you all bend the physical energy of your souls to protect you, we've balanced out both to manipulate our bodies and nature to the maximum." Minato explains as he looked past her to make sure no one was watching their conversation.

Midori was amazed, curious to it all, "so…is it like magic?"

"Not really," Minato laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Anyone can do Jutsu and use charka, it is not something special."

"Well," Midori points out with a sly grin on her face, "not where you're from."

"True…" Minato accepted as he thinks of an answer, "but then again my world has more people."

"Why's that?" Midori inquires.

"We don't have Grimm to worry about," Minato points out as he looked at the walls, "and we don't really shelter ourselves behind walls constantly."

"So, you what, have villages without walls of any kind?" Midori questions, unbelieving of Minato.

"That's right," Minato plainly answers her.

As they turn a corner Minato noticed a metal machine drive past them on the road, he looked at Midori. The girl chuckled, apparently, his world had never seen a car before. However, it was interesting. He knew what a microwave was, Kushina knew what women hygiene products were.

That conversation made Minato and Vern a little uncomfortable in their ride to Mistral City.

Kushina happily answered her, and she just kept asking.

"That's a car, it's a machine that helps us get around the city. But only people with decent money can afford them, and some of them can even fly if you're rich enough." Midori proudly points out as Minato observed it.

He frowned a little bit, "seems really slow."

"Eh," Midori gasps as she looked at him, "that thing can easily go over sixty in three and a half."

"And the last time I clocked my speed, without using anything, was seventy." Minato teasingly points out as Midori frowned and grumbled, "I'm faster."

"Wonder if that rule applies in bed," Midori shot shade at Minato, only to get a head knock from Vern. "Ow!"

"Going a little far there, brat," Vern's side was bandaged up, improvised bandaging anyway.

They arrived at a larger house, about halfway up the mountain. Midori got off first, helping Kushina down despite the fact she wouldn't really need it. It was out of courtesy, Vern was helped down by Minato. Who looked at the man and nodded.

"Your secret is safe with us young man," Vern stuck out his hand. "I'm sure my son will allow you to spend the night."

"I would be thankful for that," Minato politely took the man's hand and shook it. "Vern-san."


	5. Chapter 5: Spread the wealth

_**Ruby Rose is the winner, Wind Flower is a go.**_

* * *

Seven months had come and gone like water flowing down a mountain. Minato and Kushina realized that now, with no signs of Konoha Shinobi anywhere near them, or without any detection of chakra around them but their own that this was it. They've been living pretty much on beds of random inns that they had traveled to.

But they weren't alone, Midori had tagged along with them. She wanted to learn their ways, and the girl was very persuasive. Suggesting that more of them would pose a lesser risk to Kushina for when she got to the later stages of pregnancy. So, the day they had left, she bid her father a farewell.

That was three months ago, and that was an entirely different continent. Now, they walked the desert sands of Vacuo in Sanus. Kushina's stomach had bulged now, they also found out the baby was going to be a boy.

Keeping a low profile was their bread and butter, Minato took on random work with Midori. Sometimes it involved manual labor, but often he turned to his normal skills of being a Shinobi. He gained the reputation of being a Huntsmen, and Midori was going on these missions with him to learn from the man himself.

In the inn they were staying in, Kushina sat at a table. Her headcloth helped keep the heat down, and the clothing she wore was fit for the region they were in. Constant heat, and very little rain, it was like being in Suna inside the middle of summer.

The sound of boots filled her ears as she saw Midori and her husband enter. She smiled upon noticing him with a very proud look on his face. Midori had a few cuts on her arms and forelegs, but other than that she seemed relatively unharmed.

"I didn't have to do a single thing that mission," Minato stated with pride. "Midori took on those Beowolfs on her own."

"Midori, wow, that's really good!" Kushina praises as she saw the teen take a seat in front of her.

She smiles, "it wasn't big deal, got into a bit of a tussle with the alpha though."

"Gave him a fiery kiss," she hinted at what she had done. "Right down his gullet it went, and then boom!"

Minato looks at Kushina, looking around to make sure no one was listening, "Midori takes well to fire."

"I have a fire affinity," Kushina then chuckled. "You are suggesting a teach her what I know?"

"Might as well, if she is coming along nicely. Perhaps it would be best to teach her while you're unable to fight, Naruto is going to popping outta of there in about two months." Minato jokes as he poked her stomach, feeling his son kick at the irritation.

The redhead giggles a little bit, though it was a little discomforting at the feeling of a baby kicking within her womb. The mother to be beamed with pride, it would seem fate had smiled on her at last. Despite the hardships of this world, she and Minato adapted rather well.

Suddenly the doors to the inn opened, revealing a woman in a white cloak and silver eyes. There was some silence in the inn, but all in all, things kept going like normal. She walks up toward the table as her partner came in, a man with blonde hair and blue eyes.

The duo seemed tired, "can't believe that duet got that job before us."

"Calm down Summer," the man laughed as she pouted while taking a seat. "I mean look on the bright side, we're spending some time together like old times."

"Well that was before you had Yang," the woman in the white cloak, Summer, pointed out.

"Still it isn't nothing to be mad at, perhaps we can get a mission hunting down a bigger Grimm. Ooh, I know what would cheer you up, how about hunting down a Golem?!" The blonde man asks, trying to cheer her up.

"It could be fun…" she mumbles, "Taiyang…"

"Golem Grimm, sheesh, and here I thought I was starting to feel like a badass." Midori openly commented without realizing.

Taiyang and Summer turned toward where the comment came from, finding a table with three people at it. Everyone locked eyes with one another, judging each other, and stacking each other up just in case things went very south.

"Were you talking about us?" Taiyang asks as he got to looking at Minato.

"Oh no, no, we're simply just talking about Grimm in general. But you're making it sound like a Golem Grimm is just easy pickings. Oi, you wouldn't happen to be The White Reaper and The Golden Dragon?!" Midori suddenly yells out as she got a look at them.

Minato looked at her, she had to subtlety a little better. However, if anything, Midori was like a young teenage Kushina. Always full of energy, spunky, and had more moxie then most. The duo at the other table got up, walking over toward their table.

"Well, lucky guess there, we are those two." Summer reveals as she looks at the girl, "and your name is?"

"I'm Midori," Midori answered the woman. "I must say your eyes quite beautiful miss."

"Oh thanks," Summer gushed a little. "I have to say though, you have beautiful hair."

"Aw shucks, I think the job you were talking about is one I and my master took." The Faunus revealed, earning some looks from the crowd.

Minato sighs as he looked at the duet that had joined them, "she means teacher by that notion. I'm Minato, and you both are?"

"Summer Rose," Summer extends her hand to which Minato took, "I'm greatest Huntress in Vale."

Taiyang chortles at his partner, "I guess I'm Taiyang Xiao-Long, s _econd_ best Huntsmen in Vale."

Summer then looks at Kushina, ogling her stomach, "oh my that is a mighty big bun in the oven there!"

Kushina laughs a little, "yeah, he'll be out in a month or so."

"Ooh~" Summer coos as she looked the woman's stomach move around, "I've always wanted a kid."

"Oh, well, haven't you two…" Kushina looked between her and Taiyang.

The two blushed a little bit, with Taiyang answering, "no…we just started dating a few months ago."

Minato laughs nervously, "well you're very forthcoming with that."

"I see any stranger as a friend yet to be made," Summer stated as she held her hand. "Allow me to buy the first round, though knowing those that bear buns in the ovens may want to stick to lemonade."

Kushina couldn't help but laugh, "you're certainly a ball of energy."

"Thank you, um…" She looked at redhead, "what is your name?"

"Kushina, Kushina Namikaze. The blonde sitting by me is my husband, Minato." Kushina tells them as she got looked at by Minato as well.

Minato smiles as he looked at Taiyang and held his hand out, "it's a pleasure. Sorry for cutting in on your mission, we just needed the money."

"No biggie I totally get it. You've got a baby on the way, been there, done that. It is stressful, its even more stressful when the mother ends up walking out. But its awesome in a way, because I never realized that the true love of my life was always by my side." Taiyang states while holding Summer's hand.

She giggles, "hey now, not until we're in our room."

The older couple sitting at the table stared at the younger pair, they all enjoyed a quick laugh. Midori was looking over her shoulder, seeing a young man with black hair staring at her. He had yellow eyes and seemed to be a Faunus if the claws in his hands were any indicators.

She waved at him nervously, and he only nods his head in acknowledgment. The teens shared a small smile between them, he looked at the adults talking and looked at her.

He mouthed toward her, _"hey are you a Huntress in training?"_

The girl nods, mouthing back at him, _"are you a Huntsmen in training?"_

 _"_ _No, White Fang, we're looking for recruits."_ He mouths as he smirked, looking at the humans talking amongst themselves.

Midori frowned a little, _"sorry kinsmen, I have no need for the fang."_

 _"_ _It's all good, what about dinner?"_ He had a sly grin on his face as he mouthed the question.

Midori couldn't but giggle a little bit, drawing some attention to herself.

"Midori," Kushina interrupts her, "who are you talking to?"

"Oh, that guy over there," she points at the other Faunus in the room, "he's asking me to dinner."

"Ooh look at you," Kushina laughed. "You should go for it, you've earned it."

The girl nods and got up, walking over toward the boy. Her clothing fluttered in the small little gasps of wind from the man doors of the inn. She sat down in front of him, he looks at her and just gave a soft smile.

"Welcome to my corner kinsmen," the teen said as he looked at Midori. "I am bit surprised that you're traveling with humans."

"Well these humans saved my father's life, I'm not indebted to them, I just want to learn the ways of a Huntsmen so I can be a Huntswoman," Midori tells the boy, hearing the table she came from laughing a little as the adults began talking.

The slightly older teen in front of her nods, "I can respect that, truth be told…I'm not really interested in recruiting for the fang. Our local leader is on a bit of a power trip."

"Ah, I know how those go, I'm from Wind Path." She reveals to him, "I'm Midori."

"I'm Samson, Samson Bellflower, charmed to meet my green friend." He reaches over and grabs her hand before kissing it.

The girl giggled a little bit, "well Samson, why is someone like you here?"

"Lazily recruiting," he waved as he spoke, "tell you the truth though Vacuo has always been good to Faunus if you got hard hide to handle some of the things that go on here."

"So, I've noticed," Midori agreed as she looked at the various people. "So, Samson, why invite me to dinner?"

"I don't know, guess either I'm just bored…or…" he leaned in a little bit, "you're just strikingly beautiful."

"My, what a charmer," she laughed. "Alright…I'll let you take me to dinner, but you're paying."

"That's fine, a gentleman always pays, besides I'm sure your teachers won't mind, right?" Samson inquires as he notices the humans continuing to talk.

"Oh no, my teacher's wife encouraged me to come over here…kind of glad I did." Midori flirted a little, and he just smiles.

The Faunus pair leans back in their chairs, he looked at her eyes. "You've got some beautiful eyes their sweet cheeks, very _foxy._ "

"Ooh playing with my traits are we, what are you, cute little kitty?" She teases as he leaned back and just laughed.

He looked at her, noting the smile, "oh no…I'm actually Pine Martin."

The two young teens looked at each other, and then she looks at the table where her friends where. Smiling, she nods toward Kushina and then turns back toward the Pine Martin Faunus, smiling.

"So, wanna go have some dinner right now?" She asked with a smirk.

Samson got up from the table, "ladies first out the door."

The adults watch the teens walk out of the inn just as a waiter brought their drinks. Minato looked at his strawberry soda, smiling as he turned to Kushina. In a way, strangely, he looked to Midori as a little sister of sorts he never had. He was happy to see her smile, and she was a very attentive student.

She needed some freedom.

Summer had a strawberry sunrise in her hand, "to our fellow co-workers, with love from Vale."

"Aye," Taiyang agreed with his glass raised. "But more importantly my long-lost brother, though I got the better looks."

Kushina jabbed her elbow into Minato as she laughed. The man didn't need the hint, he was laughing already and clinked his glass against Taiyang's. The quartet downed their drinks, Kushina lightly sipping her lemonade.

Summer looked at Kushina, "have you went shopping for baby clothing yet?"

"Not yet," Kushina admitted as she rubbed her stomach. "He's wanting to pop though, we just haven't found a place to settle down."

"Ooh, we may know a place, but it's in Vale." Summer points out as she and Taiyang looked at each other.

Taiyang nods and looked at Minato, "there's a little island off the coast of Vale City. Patch, a perfect place to raise few kids."

"We'll keep that in mind," Kushina replied as she took a swig of her lemonade. "We just don't know where to settled yet."

"Yeah," Minato looked at them with a smile. "The life we lead is treacherous but its good to see that someone can understand us a little."

"And that understanding is what makes us friends as I said…everyone is just a friend unmade. But I do have a question for you Kushina," Summer finished her drink. "Does it feel weird when he kicks?"

"Oh of course, but it's well worth the feeling. I take pride in becoming a mother," she says with a small tear running down her eye, "it's been my dream for a long time."

"Aww," the huntress in front of comforted the slightly older woman. "If anything, if how your bringing up your student is showing, I think you'll be an epic mom!"

The couple laugh, Minato felt calm around them, just radiated good vibes. The young suddenly burps, making everyone look at her. She giggled nervously as she got another drink, and Taiyang just held his face laughing.

"Well, Minato and Kushina, it was nice meeting you. Here are our scroll contact numbers, think about Patch. I'll be taking a teaching job up there shortly, I'm just getting money to get a place. It isn't cheap up there, but its well worth saving up for some land." Taiyang tells them and nodded his head at Kushina, "may your child be healthy if it is born before we meet again."

"And may your love blossom," she replied in kind with a nod.

Summer and Taiyang walked off as a band started playing in the inn, Minato looked at Kushina. The woman had begun to seriously wonder if they should look toward settling down upon the island they were talking about. Minato smiled and leaned over to give Kushina a kiss. The two shared a very short, but very passionate kiss.

* * *

A couple of weeks passed, Minato had gone on missions by himself, each mission lasted about a few hours. He had begun saving his money more, and gaining more, so he could get ready for the preverbal nest.

Midori was with Samson, they had a nice dinner, it wasn't anything expensive. A couple of burgers, some fries, and some ice cream. Just like the other little dates, they had together, and he seemed very nice, didn't try to push her into anything. The two were walking around Vacuo, Samson explaining the city to her. The girl was gobsmacked and awestruck. She walked with pep in her step, following Samson as they passed some musicians playing on the street.

Samson made his way through the people, Midori looks at him, "where are we going?"

"I need to check up on my brother," Samson told her as he led her through the people. "You don't have to go with me."

"Oh no, I'm loving this so far, I've never been this happy since I started traveling with Minato and Kushina," Midori reveals their names and Samson smiled.

They come to a small dilapidated house, and reality hit Midori a little. She watches as Samson opens the door, there were no pictures of him with his parents or anything on the walls. She heard the coughing of a little child in the bedroom.

There, she saw Samson's brother, a small little Pine Martin Faunus like his older brother. He had a fresh bowl of soup by him, he looked up at his older brother. The child had black blotches around his arms, signs of the plague.

"Hey big brother," the little child greeted his brother. "Who's that?"

"A friend I met, I was just dropping in to check on you, Danny…" Samson walks over toward the child, "are you feeling a little better?"

"A little," the little black-haired boy answered. "My chest still hurts when I cough, and I keep coughing up some black stuff…"

That didn't sound good at all, Midori looked at the boy with sadness. Samson sighed as he rubbed his little brother's head, and then looked at Midori. The girl smiled, showing a brave face.

"I'll be back later little brother, I'll bring you home some cheesecake." The teen leaned down and kissed his brother on the head.

The two older teens walk out of the room, and out of the house. Midori, however, still felt wrong about leaving the child there. Samson looked at her and sighed.

"I'm sorry, it must be weird…but I drop in on him at random. I don't tell him, a doctor in the fang said his situation is hopeless…" Samson sighed, "and I lied…about other things. I'm not really from the fang, I just needed to get away from it."

"I'm a horrible brother," the teen continued as he looked at Midori. "I keep trying to distract myself because I don't want to know _when_ you know."

"No, I get it, its fine…" Midori looked at the boy in there. "What is keeping him from fighting it?"

"Danny was born with weak lungs, my parents were Huntsmen, and they died on a mission. We've been living on what we could get off the streets, and I do odd jobs. I'm good at crafting and such, that's how I make money, but I just wish…I wish there was some way I can make Danny's lungs stronger or heal them." Samson lowered his head, "I feel like a failure of a brother."

"Samson," Midori sighed as she looked at him. "I can understand that, trust me. It was hard in Wind Path with me and my father…my mother got killed by the gangs there."

"Ah…" Samson breathes as he looks at her, "I hope you don't feel used…I just keep up the illusion that I'm fine and I'm not."

She sighed, "I wish there was something I could do to help."

Samson smiles as he looks at her, "well you're certainly taking it well."

"I am used to the weird by now," she replied while looked at him. "So, I guess this where I part ways."

"Yeah…well, I'll see you later. I know this was weird, but…I…" Samson just sighs as he looked down at the ground.

Midori frowns, walking away quickly, not wanting him to see her look of determination.

Kushina was taking deep breaths as she struggled to get up, "whoa…you're starting to get heavy in there Naruto."

She notices Midori coming into their room, "Midori, you alright sweetheart?"

"Not really," Midori admitted as she lowered her head. "I just found out Samson was just going out with me to distract himself…his little brother his dying."

"Oh dear…that is…awful." Kushina walks over toward the girl, giving her a small hug.

The girl scrunches up a little bit, "I'm sorry Kushina, I really am…but I need to learn something from you."

"Midori," Kushina breaks the hug, "you know we can't just…"

"I know we can't, but what's the point of teaching me this stuff if I can't use it to help others?!" Midori yells as her feelings take over.

She activates the silencing seals in the room that Minato had placed.

She takes a deep breath, "I'm not saying you or Minato is selfish…these are your powers, you gave them to me."

"Gods know I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you two, but I beg of you! Please, please let me learn that Jutsu you used to heal my father. I don't want to see a little boy die when there's something I could've done to stop it!" Midori starts crying as she looked at Kushina, "I don't want to see someone so young lose their life because good people didn't act!"

Kushina looks at Midori, she takes a deep breath, "you realize…if this gets out Minato will be upset at both of us."

"I know," she lowered her head, "and if you want to kick me out, I'll leave…"

"I never said that but if intent to do this. I'll teach you, but Midori, the power to save a life is a powerful technique. You trade your life force, and there's no guarantee it'll work." Kushina walks over toward her and rubbed her face.

She looked up at the door, "I think Minato already knows."

"Yeah, I've been standing here for a minute. So, Midori, you want to use Jutsu to save a young boy's life?" He asks her, looking at her body language, it was very conflicted.

She nodded as her eyes gazed upon her master, "yes…Minato-sensei."

"Fine," Minato allowed as he looked into her eyes. "However, if you do this, they must come with us."

"I know…same as me right, we'll teach them…right?" She inquires as Minato looked at her.

He nods as he looked over at Kushina, "that'll be fine, but he'll have to earn the right to learn our techniques."

"I understand sensei," Midori bowed and then walked toward the door. "Will you be here when I get back?"

"Of course," Minato comforted the girl and smiled. "I'm proud of you…you've got a sense of kindness that I hope my son has when he grows up."

He followed her out the door, intent to teach her the Shōsen Jutsu.

* * *

Night fell across Vacuo, Samson held his little brother, he was immune to the plague. However, his little brother had the unfortunate luck to not be. He holds his little brother as the young child coughs up the black flam profusely. Splattering it on the shirt he was wearing, it was nearing that time.

Samson just held his brother tightly, "please Gods…please…"

Suddenly he heard his door open, seeing Midori rush in. She had a scarf over her mouth as she slid to her knees where his brother.

"Midori what are…" he was totally silenced when she started to fumble around with her hands.

However, he heard a loud signal of sorts, a pulse of energy? He saw that her hands started to glow green, Midori took very well to learning new stuff, and right now it was coming as a godsend. Slowly, but surely, she took a deep breath.

 _"_ _Shōsen Jutsu…"_ she whispers as she placed her hands over the boy's chest.

Samson watches as the little black veins on his brother's chest began to recede, and then shocking his brother's aura activated as well. Slowly, but surely Midori transferred as much chakra she could to possibly activate his chakra network like Minato had done for her, but in turn she was using the healing technique to try and save him.

He watches as his brother's face started to gain color back into it. The young child opened his golden eyes, looking up at his big brother. He smiles, looking at him with a faint light in his eyes. The light was coming from Midori using whatever she was to heal his brother.

"Big brother…I saw…mama…and papa…" Danny mumbles as he looked into his brother's eyes, "mama…and papa…say they love us."

"They're…proud of you," Samson heard Danny say, "big…brother?"

Samson was sobbing as he held his brother's hand as the blotches began to disappear. He smiles, holding the child's hand as he relaxed. Slowly, but surely the glowing stopped. Midori was breathing hard, she wanted to continue, but she was out of chakra to use.

Slowly she leaned back before falling over, breathing harder than before, "they said…it would take a lot of me…they weren't pulling my leg."

"Midori," Samson stopped sobbing, "what did you do?"

"I did the right thing," Midori replied as she looked at Samson. "I used what I've been taught to save someone."

"Taught," he looked at her, "you mean that wasn't just trick of aura?"

"It is, kind of, but…since you saw I need you to know that it comes with a price." Midori then grinned slightly, "more burgers…and…you've gotta come with us."

Samson looks at her, then looked at his brother, "that's fine I think I owe you that much."

The girl looks at him, nodding as she just laid back, "I'm out of energy…"

"Well sleep here," Samson hands her his pillow, " as I said…I owe you."

"You owe me nothing," Midori told him as she took the pillow. "You just had a rough go of it, and were honest about it."

"Right…" Samson mumbled as he looked at her, "but what exactly did you do?"

"It's a long thing to explain," Midori tells him, "I'd rather you wait until morning when we go to see my friends."

He nodded, "I can do that."

* * *

Minato was sitting in the room with Kushina, "we'll have two more people joining us…enough for a team."

Kushina leaned up, wrapping her arms around Minato, "we've waited long enough. I think Midori has a point, if we can start making a difference, then should we?"

"I just don't want to put you or our child in danger," Minato sighed and then looked out the window. "The poor we've seen, the sick we've passed…I just didn't want to risk our power falling into the wrong hands."

"Midori is a smart girl, and if she wanted to help someone, that someone desperately needed it." The redhead argues as she held on to her husband, " as we will…when…"

"I know," Minato takes her hand as he comforted her. "He won't get out…I promise."

* * *

 _ **Jutsu Translation.**_

 _ **Shosen Jutsu** (Mystical Palm Technique.)_


	6. Chapter 6: So it begins

Samson and Minato clashed forearms. The two threw punches at each other, with the younger man quickly losing his footing and getting slammed into the ground by the much older blonde. The former Yondaime Hokage of Konoha then quickly stepped back and elbowed a charging Midori. She blocked the strike with her forearms, dodging a couple of his punches.

He smirks before suddenly kicking her in the side. The teen slams into the ground from the powerful kick, the leader of their troop simply smirked as he felt Samson get up behind him. He slams his elbow back again, catching Samson in the gut before throwing him over his shoulder. Samson hurtles into Midori as she tries to get up. Both laying on top of each other, aura sparking, and out of energy.

"Very good you…two," Minato leans back as an arrow went flying past him. "Ah, Danny, good for you to join us."

The boy was standing on a nearby tree, holding a bow and nocking another arrow.

"Danny, give it up brother…" Samson moans as he got up and off Midori before helping her up, "there's no chance at beating Blondie-sensei."

"Dang, almost had him though!" Danny complains as he removed the arrow off the string.

He extends his claws before rapidly climbing down the tree, landing on his feet as he jumped the last few feet down. The dry arid air of Vacuo's northernmost forest stained their mouths. They had come here after a month and a half of training.

Kushina was overlooking them, her stomach bulging now. Minato and the other had been busy over the last month, leaving Vacuo's main city while secretly building a small shelter in the woods. It was there that he had told them about what was to happen.

Their other teacher was going to give birth, but in doing so had the potential to unleash a monster. That monster lived in her gut, and at first Samson and Danny openly admitted to that they wanted to leave. However, Midori convinced them to stay. They were scared, but the fear faded with time.

Midori was going to be the midwife.

Today was October Ninth, the day before this all was to go down.

She looks at them, watching as they knelt on their knees in front of Minato. He lectured them often, not harshly, but teaching them the meanings of chakra. The woman saw why he easily found followers in his earlier years on the battlefield, he was charismatic when he wanted to be.

Midori nods at one piece of the lecture smiling, she looked over at Samson and Danny as they nod, agreeing with another part. Getting up, all of them put their hands out, sharing chakra between themselves as it revitalized strained coils.

Kushina had made it a point to teach them the Shōsen Jutsu, just in case they got hurt and she wasn't there to heal them. They all easily mastered the Jutsu, which just showed the potential the group of fledglings had.

Getting up from the ground the group set about doing chores. Samson and Danny were assigned to gather firewood, and Midori was to prepare the shelter for the arrival of the baby. Minato walks over to his wife, who was sitting on a soft patch of savannah grass.

She was wearing a light red tunic. Her husband sat by her, looking at the forest they would be calling home for a few days before going back to the city. Kushina huddled up close to him, looking at him, and then took a deep breath.

"Minato," she started before looking down at the ground. "The Kyūbi keeps whispering to me in my sleep…"

Minato looks at his wife's eyes, noticing she had been lacking sleep, "Kushi-chan…you'll be okay."

"I want you to promise me that if the worst happens that you'll get those children away," Kushina said as her hands tightened onto his. "I know…it most likely won't…I just…"

"Kushina Uzumaki," she stared right at him in surprise, but he had a smile on his face.

The man leans down, pressing his head forward onto hers, "our love will hold him at bay…so don't you dare get scared."

She nods, smiling as they then shared a passionate kiss.

He picks her up and walks toward the shelter, entering it through a makeshift door. There was a specialized makeshift bed on the floor of the structure. Unlike the other "beds" that mainly consisted of cloth on the floor. The reason was simple, Midori needed space so she could grab Naruto and help Kushina with the birth.

They needed to work fast, and there was no way it could be done over a long period of time. Minato may have had chakra, even Senin Mōdo. However, hours of concentration and labor would certainly give the massive demon fox in her gut the chance of breaking free.

So, as she was laid onto the bed, where she was going to be catered for, for the next three days. Kushina, the soon to be mother, took a deep breath and went to ask for what she wanted for supper.

* * *

It was happening, night had come on October Tenth. The darkness outside, the songs of the night, drowned by the wailing of a woman with red hair. Midori was ingenious in designing last minute stirrups to help keep Kushina's from accidentally kicking out or closing her legs.

The cloth hanged from the ceiling, allowing a very little movement. The woman in the makeshift bed mewled in pain as her stomach was exposed. Deep breaths and the bubbling ooze of the seal slowly breaking or remaining in limbo was evident of this difficult birth.

"Oh Gods, it hurts, ah!" Kushina screams as she gripped the sheets.

The soon to be father looks at his wife, "Kushi-chan just keep pushing, it won't be long!"

They had been going at this for the last three hours, the man was exhausted already, and his nature chakra reserves got exhausted the second hour in. Kushina, for all that she was, holds the bedsheets in a death grip.

In her head, the roaring of a demon alarms her. Red chakra bubbles up from the seal, making Minato wince as he felt his chakra reserves take a big hit while forcing the demon's influences back into his wife's seal.

"C'mon Naruto," Minato growled as he looked at Midori. "Do you see his head yet?"

"I see a little bit of it, blonde hair, but I can't risk grabbing him yet!" Midori answers as she felt a little lightheaded watching this happen.

She hears Kushina screaming, "Naruto c'mon, your daddy needs you to come out…I need you to come out!"

"Kushina-sensei, a little bit more!" Midori yells as she sees more of the baby's head, "a little bit more and can make an attempt!"

"Ahh!" Kushina wails while pushing, "please, please be careful with him!"

"I swear on my life, I swear on my entire family, Naruto won't be hurt by me!" Midori comforts her mistress and then looks to her master, "Minato-sensei is…"

"Just focus on Naruto," Minato tells her as he glares at the seal, "I'll focus on this!"

He had sweat rolling off him, looking down at the seal growling larger and bubbling more. The Kyūbi was thrashing in the seal, it knew that the last chance to get out was now. So, with it fighting harder, Minato had to respond in kind.

The blonde-haired father to be looked at Kushina, "Naruto come out…Kyūbi you stay in!"

Midori looks at the door, "Samson bring the fucking water as I told you to already!"

Samson came running in, yelling repeatedly, "I'm not looking!"

He ran and placed the bucket of hot water him and Danny had been heating over the fire as best they could. The water wasn't hot, it was lukewarm at best. Midori watches as Samson ran back outside, she felt bad about yelling at him like that, but this was critical!

Suddenly a blast of red emerged from Kushina as she arcs back, Minato was thrown across the shelter. Midori was as well struggling to keep where she was. Screaming as the blast of wind tore the roof off the shelter.

Samson suddenly came running in, "what was Minato doing?!"

"He was just feeding chakra into the seal!" Midori yells as she watches Samson quickly run over toward Kushina with Danny.

Kushina thrashes about, "Minato?!"

The redhead's eyes turn red as she felt searing pain across her body.

Minato got back into the shelter, placing his hands over the seal. He quickly reestablishes his chakra link with it, but his eyes widened on how much damage was dealt with it.

* * *

Inside of her mind, Kushina watches as several chains snap on the giant fox hanging above her. Her eyes widened when she realized what was happening, and suddenly it sneered at her. She was on the ground, breathing hard as she felt pain.

Nothing but pain.

 **"** **I told you woman,"** The Kyūbi gloated as more chains broke. **"That I would win in the end!"**

It snaps an arm free, trying to grab her, but she manages to leap out of the way in time. It growls but then smirks as it reaches over to the chains binding its other arm. Slowly, but surely it broke them. The seal was too weak, they were taking too long, he was going to free!

Kushina stood up straight, "I won't let you win…"

 **"** **I've already won,"** it sneers, **"a pathetic husband your mate made. Killing you and your child would be kindness, such a weak man."**

"Shut up…" Kushina looked dead into the creature's eyes, "you don't get to talk about my husband or my child, you overgrown furball!"

Suddenly several chains emerged from Kushina as they slammed the fox back into the orb of earth. It struggles, roaring in rage as she glares right into its eye.

"I am Kushina Uzumaki, heir to The Uzumaki Clan of Uzugakure. You are just an incarnation of hatred, and you will never ever beat me, I'll be a damned good mother and a damned good wife at that point as well. You will just have to be contented with seating your furry ass on that rock and watching as our life becomes happy!" Kushina screams as she tightens the chains, adding new ones where the old ones weren't before.

She felt tears sting her eyes, "you don't have the right to destroy anyone's happiness because you're just miserable and wallowing in your own self-pity!"

 **"** **You little redheaded witch,"** The Kyūbi roared in a rage. **"How could you do this, why is this happening, I had you…I was free…I WAS FREE!"**

It screams echoed in the void of her mind, she stands there, watching as it thrashes. She then felt something pat on her shoulder, but when she turns around there was nothing. The giant fox gives up struggling, looking right at her.

Growling, it just sighed, **"this time…you win…"**

Before she could retort she felt herself kicked out of the mindscape.

* * *

Minato was holding his hand over the seal, watching it suddenly take back its original shape. Holding strong, it then came to attention that someone was crying. His eyes widened, it wasn't Danny that was crying or Samson. It wasn't even Midori, not Kushina.

The high pitch wailing of a baby filled the air. Slowly, but surely reality hit him as Kushina moved her hand to his. Squeezing it as Midori suddenly got up after using a knife on something. She ran object in her hands under the water for a moment. Wiping off the placenta, and then quickly wrapped a white cloth around it.

Minato was close to crying, but Kushina was already sobbing as she heard the baby wailing.

"Congratulations," Midori smiled as she handed the baby over to Kushina. "Kushina-sensei, Minato-sensei, he's here and boy does he kick."

Kushina looked at the bundle in her arms, seeing three whisker marks on his cheeks. Apparently, the chakra of The Kyūbi saturated him while he was in the womb, giving him the features. However, if anything, it just added to his cuteness.

Samson was breathing hard, so was Danny as they fell back onto the floor, "sweet Gods in Heaven and Naraku."

"Please tell me that all women _don't_ have monsters in their bellies," Danny breathed as he felt pain in his body. "I'm out of energy brother…"

"As am I," Samson looks at Minato who looked at them smiling, "is the little blondie good?"

"He's perfect," Minato answered them. "Thank you, boys, you didn't have to step in like that."

"Screw that, you took us in without really knowing us, to us your family now ya hear." Danny placed his hand over his chest, "loyalty is family, no matter the color of banner or blood in your vein."

"Yeah!" Danny cheers.

Midori suddenly stands in front of them, hearing Kushina rustling with her tunic behind her. She was going to feed Naruto for the first time, but the Fox Faunus got in front of them to shield some of her modesty. What was left of it anyway. Minato lets her legs down from the stirrups. He brought the blanket over her.

"Sorry guys, but I think Kushina-sensei needs a little privacy with Minato-sensei," Midori says while standing in front of them.

Danny frowns, "why?"

"Because boys and girls don't usually expose themselves to each other," Midori blushes as she answers the kid's question. "Now just face the wall or something."

Samson laughs a little as he scoots to turn around and face away, "you're cute when you get angry, Midori…"

Blushing, Midori just grumbles as she faces away and back toward the loving new family. Kushina was caressing her child's head, kissing it as he fed off her. Minato knelt by the makeshift bed, looking at his son. He was so small, but he was healthy by the looks of it. The little boy opens his eyes, oceans of tears pour from Minato as two sets of azure eyes met with each other.

"Hey there little buddy," the new father greets his son, "I'm your daddy."

The baby continues to feed off its mother, paying no heed to him. Minato lowers himself down and kissed his son's head. He rested his head on Kushina's side, watching his son. They all stayed there, huddled in the broken shelter.

But no Grimm showed its face.

* * *

The half of the year that came and went was challenging, between caring for an infant and training the others. However, Minato had begun to quickly establish himself. Slowly, but surely, what was three grew to more people.

The sick they began to heal, the ones that wanted to protect those they loved and held dearest to themselves. Those who sought change, freedom, and equality in a broken world. His first three students had all been Faunus beforehand.

Embers that ignited the flames of change!

Those that were broken from the long hunts of Grimm and were no longer "useful" to their nation. It was bound to happen sooner or later, either when his son grew up and found himself a wife. Someone would get into a fight where there was no choice and had to use Jutsu. This didn't matter anymore, for all his initial fears, the year he spent on this new world made him come to terms that all people wanted one thing.

Freedom.

Freedom from corrupted councils, politicians, slavers, and more importantly the fear of Grimm.

Naruto was his child, and he wanted to create a legacy for his firstborn to be proud of one day. It was fate that the light of leadership would shine itself on him once more. As he walked under the cover of a large tent, he looks at the cradle a crafter made them as a reward.

His son slept peacefully, that was good.

He then turns toward the entrance of the large tent and exits it. There, if destiny was real, it was taking shape. A few dozen men, women, and children looked at him. They knelt on their right knee, bending themselves, and their wills to him and him alone.

Some didn't call him sensei like he had taught them too. Instead, some began to use the phrase "Lord Minato," and to those that stuck with the honorifics, "Minato-sama."

Midori and Samson stood opposite to him, his wife was still asleep. The man smiles, watching as his followers looked up at him.

"I don't know how many times I have to say it," Minato speaks loudly but with a gentle tune to his voice. "I am no Lord, nor am I your owner."

He walks toward them, helping them up one by one, "and I do not ask that you bend your _will_."

"I simply ask that you _follow_ me, not _serve_ me. The job of a leader is not to be _served_ by those under him but _serve_ those that look up to him. My first students, myself, and my family are not rulers." Minato smiled as he helped an elderly woman up that the group's tailor, "we are people just like you."

Minato watches as the people stood up, most weren't learning to use chakra, they simply started following them after one of their family decided to go with them. The sons of old men, the daughters of poor mothers.

The old woman that Minato helped up was there because her granddaughter was saved by Midori. Two young men were learning to use the same power that saved their mother, and a man with a robot prosthesis was seeking purpose once more.

They all stood together in the forest

It was a large camp in the middle of Sanus, nowhere near Vale City, but not too far from civilization. The morning sun hanged up in the skies with brilliant vibrate reds coating clouds. People all began their daily lives, some awaiting instruction from Minato himself.

Midori was now a what Minato could consider a Chunin, and so was Samson, with Danny getting close. However, with no one near where he'd consider a Jonin, Minato resigned himself with assigning Midori and Samson their own student to teach.

It was evident that if he was to make Shinobi in this world a reality, and keep the practice in the right people, there was a need to expand. It wasn't viable in a modern city, it certainly wouldn't survive if people felt like they were a threat.

Minato found that many whispers had been passed along his own people. Talks of building something new, a new home, and today he was going to plan for it. The people in this makeshift tribe had pledged themselves to him, whether he wanted that allegiance to servitude or not.

They served him, and he would, in turn, serve them.

The man with the robotic leg hobbled over to Minato, "Sir, I wanted to speak with you in regarding my contacts in Mistral."

"Alright," Minato acknowledged the man and smiled. "So, what have they said?"

"Mistral is looking to try and set about settling the twin islands to the south. These right here my lord…err…sir," the former Huntsmen pointed at the map, showing the two islands near the continent itself.

"Ah," Minato breathes as he looks at them, "how big are they?"

"My contact says they're both roughly thirty thousand square miles. The southernmost island is steeped in thick forests, but its quite cold there. The island off to its northwestern coast is mostly temperate as well, but I did a mission there once…on a failed settlement." The former Huntsmen looked at his robotic leg.

Minato frowns and placed his hand on the man's shoulder, "Hephaistos-san, do not wallow in that sadness…we've taking our losses before."

"I know sir," the former Huntsmen, Hephaistos, sighed. "I just want a good place for us to settle, and I believe with younglings learning your ways it'll go better than it did last time."

"Will the council even be willing to let outsiders settle there?" Minato inquires as he crossed his arms.

The man cackles, "if they don't, what's the worst they'll do?"

"You've been to Wind Path sir, they can't even hold down a village right next door correctly. Their military power is on a decline, they stand to gain if they agree to sponsor us." The man then points at the map, "then there's also Menagerie…they're selling loads of land."

Minato hummed, "but isn't Menagerie mostly desert?"

"That it is, but I'm sure given the time and effort we can from the nature around us to suit our needs." Hephaistos tells Minato, "plus The White Fang need the money right now."

"So, we stand to gain some sort of political stance?" Minato frowns a little as he asks, "Do you think we'd have to worry about Faunus extremist despite our own population being mostly Faunus?"

"Likely," the old former Huntsmen admitted. "As much as I respect The Fang's leader, Ghira, for seeking peace. A lot of his Lieutenants use that power to push an agenda, and most of the time the agenda is payback."

"This man, Ghira, would he be open to a sit down with me?" The Shinobi leader asks.

"Ghira is a diplomat, of course, he'd be open to sit-downs!" The old man answers.

"Hmm…very well then," Minato rolls the map back up before handing it to the old man. "I want you to contact that friend of yours. If he can meet me in Vale City in a few weeks I'll compose a letter detailing what I seek, what we need, and how we'd go about achieving our goals there as a unified force rather than some foreign company buying land."

"Ooh, careful sir, sounded like you've got some grievance with a certain Dust Company." Hephaistos laughs as he pats Minato's back, "but to be fair they're all a bunch of backstabbing yellow bellies."

Minato sighs, "I just find it better to have synergy rather than conflict."

"I agree," both men turn to see Kushina holding Naruto in her arms, "look Naru-chan two old men talking!"

The baby laughs as he points at them gurgling as his mother bounces him around. Minato chuckled, walking over to her and giving her a quick kiss before he took Naruto into his arms. The woman stretches, yawning.

"Sorry for getting up late," Kushina apologized. "What did I miss?"

"Oh, nothing much, people trying act like I'm sort of king again." Minato laughs.

"To be fair, Vale's last king has powers like your own, and that wasn't eighty years ago. We grew up on stories of the valiant king." Hephaistos argues as he walks toward Minato, "but certainly never did he produce such cute children."

"Aww, thanks," Kushina gushes as she looked at the old man. "So, are we really planning a move that large?"

"Yes," Minato tells her, "we've been talking about doing this for a while now…so…better now than never correct?"

Kushina nods and looked at him, "it is a little sad…I can't really forget about Konoha, but I know that is just a fleeting dream now."

"We can only pray that our former home is safe," Minato replies while bouncing Naruto upon his arm, "besides our little home is here."

"Indeed, it is," she grabs both of their cheeks, "with my two greatest joys in my life."

* * *

Midori was walking with her students into the forest, she was the resident fire expert besides Kushina. Her students were training in that element, and just a half mile over would be Samson's training in the earth element.

"Like we practiced the other day," Midori instructs them, "show me what you've learned."

A girl walks up, much younger than her, about Danny's age. She claps her hands together, focusing for a moment before forming several hand seals.

"Katon: Onidōrō!" The girl yells as three little lamps of fire form behind her.

They launch themselves at a target made of stone, bursting into flames with some explosive force behind them. She looked bashful, that was until Midori put her hand on the girl's shoulder. The young teacher smiled proudly, looking down at the younger girl.

"Very good Rosalia," she turns to a teen, "Iblis."

Iblis formed the hand seals rapidly before forming eight lanterns behind him and launching them. They impact, obliterating the rock. The young fire wielder smirks, only to get a smack behind his head by Midori. The teen yelps a little bit, he looked up at Midori.

Midori sighs, "Iblis don't use your semblance to enhance your Jutsu. It takes too much aura away from you. Use chakra only when it comes to this, and allow aura to be your defense."

"Yes ma'am," Iblis grumbled as he got behind Rosalia.

Suddenly a large jet of water explodes from a tree. It impacts Midori, who simply stood there and glared at the tree. Samson was standing on it, leaning back.

"Wow, holy crap, did you all see that surprise storm?" He jests while he looked down at Midori.

The girl yells at him, "you're an ass!"

The Pine Martin Faunus jumps down from the tree, "sorry Midori, couldn't resist."

"Alright, everyone, take some time to practice your Jutsu and hand seals. I don't want to see anyone slacking off tomorrow," Midori tells her students.

The students bowed, running back toward the camp. She turns her gaze toward Samson, which turned into a glare. The teen rubbed the back of his head, but then smiled when he hands her a stack of letters. She looked confused until she noticed they were from Mistral.

"Your father sent you some of these," he told while smiling. "I went into town while getting your scroll fixed and apparently the same place is a post office."

"And they just handed you my letters?" Midori eyed him suspiciously.

"Nope," Samson laughed. "I transformed into you."

"Gosh you're such an ass," Midori playfully complained. "But if anything, you're _my ass_."

"Careful now," Samson flirted as he cupped her chin. "That sounded almost like an I love you."

"Shut up and kiss me you idiot," Midori pressed her lips against his.

Both stayed lip locked for a few moments, breaking off to get some air. They looked around before Midori grabs his hand to lead him deeper into the forest, the teachers needed their privacy.

* * *

"Aw, Mrs. Spindle, thank you for the lovely gift." Kushina thanks the old woman as she got Naruto's new onesie.

It was orange in color with a red Uzumaki symbol on the back. Mrs. Spindle smiles, nodding her head as she watches the young men of the camp come back with some deer. It looked like she'd have some leather to work with, they were all in need future winter coats anyhow.

"Looks like the young men of this troop are bringing home the bacon," Mrs. Spindle joked as she looked at Kushina. "Tell me, dear, how is your husband, we don't mean to stress him with our kneeling."

"He's fine, he was a leader back where we are from. I and he just believes that since this world welcomed us, we should give back as best we can." Kushina reaches into her pocket while holding Naruto, "here's some money for the onesie by the way."

"Oh, come now," Mrs. Spindle pushes the money away. "My dear you are taking me in and giving me purpose, that is all I want right now, purpose."

Kushina smiled and took a seat next to Mrs. Spindle, getting ready to nurse Naruto. The rocking chair the woman had was a gift from Hephaistos. The man was a good crafter and seemed to have some contacts all over Remnant. Whatever information Minato needed, Hephaistos would usually get it within a few weeks.

His crafting was coming in handy also when it came to various other things. He made water purifiers from scrap metal and some electric dust. It was communal, but luckily, they also had a doctor in Mrs. Spindle as well.

A retired surgeon from Vale.

They look at the area before sighing, Mrs. Spindle spoke up, "one day this will just be a part of the infinite dream."

"Hmm?" Kushina hummed.

"One day I'll be asleep, and I'll never have to wake up to these old bones. But, if I was to dream, I would love to dream of my life and relieve it. The hardships and all, but maybe find love. I never married sweetheart," Spindle tells Kushina, "but it seems that I dedicated my life in pursuit of my dreams."

"I saved countless lives, and now, I warm countless lives." Spindle laughs as she looked at Kushina, "and its all funny how life works out isn't it?"

"A little," Kushina admitted. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Amen…" Mrs. Spindle replied.

The camp went about their business, and a few weeks' time they'd be ready to move out. Hopefully, with Minato trying to find them somewhere to go, somewhere permanently.

The Age of Shinobi in Remnant was slowly coming to a head.

* * *

 _Jutsu Translations!_

 ** _Katon: Onidōrō_** _(Fire Style: Demon Lantern.)_

 ** _Senin Mōdo_** _(Sage Mode)_

 _Author Notes._

 _I've had people PM me left and right about Ruby Rose as the chosen girl of the people. I have to say I understand, but I left it to a vote, and I'll follow my viewers. However, if people want a revote, I'll just shuffle out characters._

 _Anyway, not really a spoiler, this story is a bit of a slow burn. But, luckily, next chapter should start kicking the story toward where it'll pick pace. Anyway, have a good day, and thanks for the 50+ followers last chapter, you are all awesome!_

 _Much Love._

 _Blazeraptor54!_


	7. Chapter 7: The New Age

_(At the end of the chapter I'll give a quick word lesson just in case some of you are confused on the spelling certain honorifics._

 _*accidentally posted ch6 instead of ch7 again, error should be fixed if you're reading this!)_

* * *

Naruto was walking for the first time, and months of delays finally came to an end. They had chartered a ship and sailed the ocean blue. Kushina was holding Naruto's hands as he walked his first steps on the arid grasslands of Menagerie. The world seemed so much smaller than theirs, but it was just about the same size.

"Okāsan…hungry," Naruto mumbles his words, trying to form a sentence.

She smiles, crouching down while reaching into her bag to get out some small crackers for him to eat. Watching as he stumbled on his own up a hill, silently celebrating her child's achievement in walking. The redheaded young mother looks down at the boy.

"Almost there Naruto," she encouraged her child. "Just a little bit further."

She came up over a small hill, near a coastline. There, she smiles, upon the shores of this small coast. Not far from the southern coast of Menagerie lays the foundation of a new idea. Picking up her child as he ate his small crackers, putting him on her shoulders, her red tunic flutters in the wind.

Walking forwards on the carved-out road of solid earth from the usage of Doton Jutsu. The small wall of stone that lined the village was still under construction, this closed off community had little contact with the capital city of Menagerie.

But there was an equal trade to this, the woodlands were cut and planted anew. The farms looked to have a bountiful crop in the works for the fall. It was the dream they had since coming to terms with what they were now to the world.

Some people viewed them with fear, the unknown always scared the weak minded and willed. Some saw her and Minato as divinity, and the many within their own ranks saw them as a beacon of hope. The plague that infected people despite people having aura, could not infect those with their chakra awakened as well. It sent the body into overdrive, everyone with chakra activated was stronger and faster than most people.

It wasn't extreme, but in a fight, every little boost helped.

There were houses under construction, she could hear the moving of earth as two young men worked themselves ragged with using a Doton Jutsu to clean pathways for a small water system. Hephaistos was pretty much the architect behind their generators and even designed the current one that ran off chakra instead of Dust.

There wasn't much electricity in this small village, not that they lacked the power, they just haven't been able to set up everything. People looked on as she walked through, observing mother and child just being normal.

Their house was built already, it was a modest two-story house near the coast. Coming to her door she found that Midori was walking with her father, who had just moved to their small village with his son and his pregnant wife.

The secret wasn't out exactly, but they were now on the map. Midori was dating Samson, they haven't talked seriously about getting married but it has been thrown out a couple of times. Mrs. Spindle was still kicking, having her own little shop in the village's makeshift square.

She saw that Minato had called a meeting, in their living room no less. He stood up while his people sat down, listening intently.

"Ghira Belladonna and The White Fang are personally financing this village," Minato tells them as he walked around the room. "I've heard reports of bandit activity toward the Northwestern Wastes. Ghira is wanting to send out an entire platoon of his finest."

The leader of the village looks at them, "but I say we repay a debt."

"Sir," a man stood up, "I can have my team ready in five hours. We are a balanced team, and my Genin can make do with the experience."

Minato smiles, "then take the initiative, Yin."

The red-eyed man nodded, bowing his head, "sir!"

Yin quickly left the room, excusing himself as he passed up Kushina. Midori was sitting on a couch by Samson, Minato resumes his plans for the village. Hephaistos listened intently, he had brought some designs with him that currently laid by the small closet door.

Samson then spoke up, "as much as bandits are a problem, I believe securing our home should take the forefront of our goals."

"But," the young man smiles, "I know how you are blondie-sensei. Which is why I will have my teams working around the clock to secure our village more."

"The same with me sensei," Midori supported Samson. "I know that we're a formidable force against anything that comes our way, but if we can prevent the death of even one of our own, we must focus on that."

Minato nods as he listens to them, "then as with Yin, take the initiative."

Samson and Midori got up, bowing to their sensei before walking out the door. The last ones there was Hephaistos, Sahaba, and Versilbern. Hephaistos was officially recognized with the moniker as "The Architect," and his designs were helping the village grow.

The white-haired and light eyed woman sitting on a chair was Sahaba. She was a young woman, around their age. However, she was renowned as "The Soothsayer" for a reason. She had lived in Menagerie all her life, and she essential when it came to be predicting how the weather would act up along the nearly uncharted southern coast.

Sahaba had initially joined as an attaché from Ghira. She was a Hawk Faunus; her trait was her keen eyes. The woman could see out to see, al within the southern mountains. Her abilities allowed her to set plans for any scouting operations, and she was in good standing among the people back in Kuo Kuana.

Versilbern Dawn was a nobleman that owed Minato his life. A couple of months ago his caravan had gotten attack by bandits, assassins, and he was facing down the blade of his would be killer. Samson stepped in, killed the bandits and slightly botched the rescue by using Jutsu openly.

He was forced to bring Versilbern here, but the nobleman took quickly to the excuse. Perhaps it was his silver tongue or the way he acted, but Minato quickly struck a friendship with the man. The village truly now had all walks of life.

Former Vacuo thieves, poor Mistralians, broken Vale war veterans, and now an Atlasian noble. A melting pot, a culture united under one banner. The banner that Mrs. Spindle herself created at the village's conception.

The banner flew over each house, representing unification, a swirl inside of a leaf. It looked no different to Minato's old headband he kept displayed in his room, reminding him of the life he accidentally left behind.

However, a shade over three years in this new world made him adapt. His son's second birthday was coming up shortly, and Naruto was developing fast. There were talks about how the passing of leadership should work, and Minato admittedly thought about it in the sense of the world he was from.

Those that show strength, those that show compassion, and those that honor. Separate they were all great virtues to attest, but only The Hokage could have all three and must uphold all three. Then again, this wasn't the Shinobi world.

This is Remnant.

There was a title in the works for his position, but until that day he was content to be called just the leader.

Versilbern looks at Minato, "I called in a few favors in Atlas while I visited Kuo Kuana."

"Oh?" Minato looked at him as he took an open seat, watching his wife do the same.

"We're in need of cabling so we can start getting houses to light up. The ship will be landing in Kuo Kuana in five days, but you'll need to assign at least two teams to escort the shipment. Normally I'd say give it to these Genin, but I implore you friend that you give it to more experienced people." Versilbern tells Minato as he leaned back in his chair.

Minato nodded in agreement, "of course, but we also got a shipment of building materials coming from Kuo Kuana the same day as well."

"Bully," Versilbern happily gushed. "We can just ship them here at the same time."

Sahaba looks toward Kushina, "ah Mrs. Namikaze. Sorry if we're taking any of your time from your husband our business is nearly concluded."

"No worries," Kushina replied with a smile. "I know you all work too hard."

"Well thank you for the pleasantry, tell me though, how goes baby?" Versilbern inquires as he looked at Kushina.

Kushina looks at Minato and smiles, "which one?"

Minato's eyes widen, "you're…"

"Mmhmm," Kushina held up two fingers, "round two, mister."

Minato smiles brightly, getting up to sit by his wife, well more or less flopped down next to her. He took Naruto into his arms, smiling all the while. The baby gurgled out, there was some complaining as he reached back for his mother but eventually settled with sitting with his father.

* * *

In the center of the village, many simple wooden structures had been built. Some of them were starting to get reinforced by concrete and stone. The old saying goes "if you build it, then they will come." Well, they came, and came, kept coming.

Seven years later the village was healthy, walls around the outside were manned by several people at a time. Gates metal to the north, west, and east was the only true access other than the ocean blue. Minato Namikaze was sitting in an office of sorts, wearing an orange robe with the village symbol on the back. Hephaistos was using a cane to walk, he looks at Minato with a nod as the man looked down at his oldest son. Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. The child was energetic, and a lot of ways was his mother's child more so than his.

"Okay, so let's go over this again…" Minato took a deep breath, "you decided to create confetti paper bombs to scare new students?"

"Mmhmm," Naruto hummed as he looked at his dad. "It was simple, no one ever looks up."

Minato sighs, he was his mother's child, "duly noted."

"To be fair Otosan," Minato turns to a redhead boy standing at the doorway, "I kind of helped Nīsan."

Minato looked at his second child, smiling, "Menma-chan."

"Otosan!" Menma complains as a he looks away bashfully.

Menma had the same round face as his older brother, born with three whiskers on his cheeks as well. The redhead's hair was flat instead of the spikey mess. His eyes, however, were green instead of the normal blue, and he inherited them from Kushina's mother.

"Oh, Menma, relax Otosan is just teasing Dattebayo!" Naruto cheerfully points out.

There was also one more thing he inherited from her.

"I don't need you to point that out Nīchan Dattekayo!" The redhead argued.

"Oi," Naruto and Menma glared at each other, "wanna go!"

"Naruto-chan," Minato looked at his sons with a smile. "Don't be too rough on your little brother. Menma quit picking fights with your Nīchan."

"Yes, Oto-sama," both lowered their heads.

"Very good, but as for you both, you'll need to write an apology letter to each student. Starting today, go now, and you better be started before I get home." Minato chastised them.

Naruto and Menma nod, running out of the office room. The man sighs, looking at Hephaistos. The older man chuckles, he was wearing a small ring on his finger. He had married Mrs. Spindle a couple of years ago. Neither one of them had been married throughout their life, but sadly it was a short-lived peace.

Mrs. Spindle had passed away the next year.

Hephaistos wasn't looking too well himself either, but that was to be expected for his age. He sat in an office chair, looking at Minato. The older man looked at his designs still rolled up at the corner, future designs for the village once they could start growing.

The Grimm population had a serious chunk taken out of its last year, thanks to Midori and Samson's efforts.

"Ataraishī grows every year," Minato tells Hephaistos. "It's all thanks to you my friend."

"Ah, you flatter an old man. Without Versilbern's connections in Atlas, or Sahaba's scouts we'd never be able to get the resources to build my designs. My time is coming to an end, Minato-dono." The old man states as he looked toward his friend, "soon I'll join Lavender."

"The pyre will burn hot for you, old friend." Minato replies with a sad smile, "how far along are you?"

"Three months," the old man laments, "I've called in one last favor."

"Hmm?" Minato hums.

"An Atlasian Engineer by the name of Yuki Shigemi. A young lad, he is a rising star looking to make a name. I had a sit down with him when I went to Atlas, he's very interested in coming to work for you. The title The Architect was created long before I was born…and will remain long after I'm worm food." The old continues as he shakes slightly trying to stand up, "but this village, Ataraishī, will remain."

"If you can manage," Minato sighed. "You can bring him in as soon as possible."

Hephaistos nods, "yes sir…oh and Minato, thanks for all these years…"

"No problem my friend," Minato told the old man as he walked out of the office.

Minato sat there, taking a deep breath, _'I never could make this happen without the people I met.'_

* * *

Kushina was visiting Midori and Samson, she was walking with a small little girl. The little girl had blonde hair tied into pigtails. She wore an orange tunic that fluttered in the wind, much like her mother's. The daughter and mother walked by Samson and Midori.

Midori was holding her bulging stomach, she was pregnant with her and Samson's first child. The two had been married for several years now, but with work finally slowing down, they could as well. The two came a long way from the hot-blooded and eager teens they were when they met Minato and Kushina.

They walk into a small, recently built, diner of sorts. Ataraishī didn't really have huge fancy eateries. The village was small in comparison to the rest of the world's cities but being considered the second Kuo Kuana of the world has its advantages.

Namely, Kuo Kuana shared a bit of a sibling love for its only other town, Ghira may not oversee The White Fang anymore, but they still upheld their obligations. They forward jobs to Ataraishī, they asked the village in the south to hunt down the tougher Grimm.

The most recent expansion of Kuo Kuana's waterway and waterworks was done by Hephaistos working with engineers there a year ago. The entire work was done by Doton users, namely Yin's division of students. The job was two-fold, it built relations, and it showed that Kuo Kuana's reliance on the outside world of Remnant was soon becoming a thing of the past.

Farms were turning more crops. Cash crops grew better with the new waterways, it was a booming decade so far. The City of Kuo Kuana experienced probably the best economic growth of a city in decades, and itself was just about twenty years old.

Ataraishī had grown in tandem, and now two sets of walls lined the village's outer limits. Giant Grimm was a thing, and many of them lived out in the wastelands of Menagerie. If one was to come bumbling toward the village the extra protection made it easier to for the village to protect itself.

Midori and Samson played the major part of this defense. They were the first teachers of the newer generation coming into Ataraishī and being born within the village. Very few people whispered about Huntsmen behind these walls, instead, Shinobi was more used.

Everyone wanted to be a Shinobi, or help them because helping them made said people rich. Weapons were simpler, the need of guns was not big as was simple weapons. Swords, spears, tools of the trade, they were making a comeback.

It was a simple life in the village. No extravagant structures, no malls or vehicles, the village itself was perfectly rustic.

The best part was the food, and as Kushina sat down, she saw the cooks in the back of the diner getting ready. She had a history of eating a lot, so did her family, minus Minato. An Uzumaki needed the food, their chakra sources were massive, and that demanded a slight bit more sustenance to maintain.

Midori looked at her sensei, "so how is little Akahana?"

"She's perfect as ever, isn't that right Aka-chan," the mother coos her child.

The toddler smiles, "Okāsan, Obachan is big!"

Samson bursts into laughter with his wife, "wow, really, really?"

The girl sheepishly smiles, giving a toothy grin, "I sorry Dattasane…"

Kushina snorts in laughter, "if she had red hair, she'd be a spitting image of me."

"For a one-year-old, she's definitely advanced," Midori observed as she looked at Aka. "You ever thought about enrolling her into the academy at five?"

"I have," Kushina answered as she bounces the girl on her knee. "But I'm content to let her be a child for a little bit longer than my sons."

"Oh, speaking of that, Naruto had to go see Minato-sensei. He decided to pull a prank, apparently, he was able to make a confetti paper bomb." Samson says as he chuckles, "it was hilarious when I student thought someone actually planted a bomb."

"I swear that boy," Kushina pinched her nose as she sighed. "I love him, but he sometimes takes things too far."

"We all got a laugh out of it, save for Yin, who had him report to Minato. Don't know what happened after that, but anyway, we got some news." Samson looked over at his wife.

Midori smiles, "I'm expecting twins."

"Oh wow, congratulations, no wonder you were bulging so early." Kushina gushed while looking at her former student, "girls…boys?"

"We don't know, and we don't want to know," Midori admitted as she smiles sheepishly. "We want it to be a surprise."

"Aww," Kushina almost felt like crying, "I'm so happy for you…I know your dad would be."

"Yeah…" Midori looked down at the ground, "I can't believe…"

"I know sweetheart," Kushina reached over and took her hand. "But he's probably looking down on you with a bright a smile."

"I know," Midori leans back, "is Aka going to be your last child?"

"Who knows," Kushina chuckled a little. "I may want other kids in the future, but I'm content with having just three."

Samson smiles, "well I'm just happy to be a dad."

"Good," the redheaded matriarch of the village replied. "You better treat them right though. Because one day our kids may end up on the same team."

"True," the Fox Faunus looked to her husband. "Ready to eat?"

"Mmhmm, I'm starving," Samson states as he saw a server come over toward them.

* * *

Naruto was listening to a scroll playing music through headphones. Menma was doing some homework, watching as another Naruto was reading off an actual scroll on the ground. The boys could read and write in kanji, and Naruto was currently reading off a scroll his father made.

"This is interesting," Naruto's clone says, "apparently you make earth chakra by just increasing its density."

"You clump it together," Menma tells them as he looked up from his homework. "Nīchan, when are you going to tell otosan about you learning the Kage Bunshin?"

Naruto pulled the headphones out of his ears, "in a few weeks. Otosan will probably have me learn some more of our family Jutsus."

Menma nodded as he leaned back, "finally, I'm done Dattekayo…"

The two boys looked at one another, both smiling, "Nīchan where is okasan?"

"Eating with obasan," Naruto tells him, "c'mon let's go for a walk."

"But we're supposed to write the letters," Menma argued as he stared at his brother. "Otosan will get mad at us, and I don't want to clean the bathrooms at the school."

Naruto rolls his eyes, "alright, fine…the only person that made it a big deal was Yin-sensei anyway."

"Still," his redheaded little brother argues, "we owe people an apology."

Naruto grabs a stack of paper, "okay Menma, let's get started."

"Nīchan?" Menma looked at his older brother.

"Yeah," Naruto asks as he starts getting ready to write, "what is it?"

"Can you teach me The Kage Bunshin No Jutsu?" Menma requests as didn't face up from the paper.

The firstborn son of Namikaze looked at his little brother, "sure, I'll start teaching you next week."

"Yes!" Menma celebrates as he pumps his fist.

Naruto snaps his fingers, "now c'mon lets back to this."

* * *

A large flying Grimm dove down at a group of White Fang soldiers, it screeched drowned out the area as it dives at the people below. Except, just about the time it was to crash into the people a figure in a cloak jumped up.

Several clouds of smoke suddenly burst around the group, revealing it to be a trap. The wagon they were escorting was fake, bursting into smoke as the cloaked figure tackled the wings of the massive Grimm. Several chains emerge out of the cloaked people's hands, grabbing the giant Grimm and holding it down.

Its roar sounded, making many a small animal run for cover. The cloaked figure's hood flew off from the wind of the massive beast's roar. Blonde spikey hair, energetic blue eyes, and three whiskers just above a lip with a foxlike smile on it.

The owner of this foxlike smile was Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. His adamantine chains held the massive beast down as his younger brother Menma jumped from a nearby tree to get above it. The younger son of The Namikaze Family quickly ran through hand seals.

"Katon: Kitsunebi!" Menma roars out as several balls of fire launch from in front of him.

The flaming balls impacted the massive Grimm, igniting its wings as it thrashes about. Naruto finished forming hand seals of his as he let his clones take over holding the beast down. He rears back, gathering chakra into his throat.

The blonde roars out, "Fūton: Kūdan!"

The massive ball of air that launches from his mouth causes the flames to rise, growing hotter and hotter. Menma lands by his brother, forming clones of his own as he stands back to back with his brother. The massive Grimm finally dies, exploding into black dust as several Beowolfs ran from out of the woods nearby.

The clones all engaged them, using special three-pronged kunai to slash and counter the beasts. Naruto and Menma nod at each other before sprinting toward a rather large Beowolf. Naruto uses his adamantine chains to wrap it up as Menma formed a sphere of energy in his hands.

The red sphere crackles with power as slammed the attack into the large Beowulf, "Rasengan!"

Naruto's eyes widened as he noticed a Beowolf blow past their clones and heading straight for his little brother. The blonde smirked as he disappeared in an orange flash, his orange cloak fluttered in the wind as he appeared behind Menma.

A blue sphere formed in his hand before he smashes it into the Beowulf, "Rasengan!"

"Damn there's a lot here," Menma laughed as he saw his clones kill his share.

Naruto's clones had dispersed when he used a Jutsu to teleport to Menma's side. The two brothers stand together, with their eyes seeing the incoming of more. Ataraishī's finest sons each took a step forward at the same time before becoming blurs as they ran toward the danger.

The two brother's uppercut a large Beowulf together before Menma springboards off Naruto's back and cuts through the demonic wolf with a sword. His older brother throws a kick backward and kicks in a Beowolf's face.

Suddenly the crash of a large club sends the ground quaking upwards at them. Naruto flips backward, gaining air in order to grab Menma's hand and throw him into a Creep. The Creep screeches in pain as Menma cuts it apart, while Naruto looks at a giant Cyclops leading the pack.

The blonde smirks, "come get some Dattebayo."

The beast roars out, using the club in its hands to smash Naruto as he launched a kunai at it. The blonde was smashed into the ground. But when it pulls it's club up there was no bloody smear, there was just a smashed-up log. The blonde suddenly emerges from a flash as the kunai flies behind the Giant Grimm's head.

"Heads up dumbass!" Naruto screams as he launches chains from his body.

The chains wrap around the creature, sinking into the ground to hold it down. The creature thrashes about as it falls. Roaring for another Grimm to come and help it. Naruto response to such a thing was to create a very large Rasengan in his right hand. He holds it above his head, it grows and grows until it was about ten feet wide all around.

He jumps up before smashing the giant ball of energy into the creature, a massive boom resounds across the forest as the creature is killed. Naruto stands in the black dust with a smile on his face, his eyes shining in the darkness before he disappears in a blur of speed.

Menma dodged slashes from several Beowolfs, and when one launched itself at him, he cut it down the middle with his sword. Naruto flashed next to his brother, spinning on his heel after forming a one-handed seals rapidly.

"Fūton: Reppūshō!" Naruto yells as he blasts the Beowolfs away with a blast of wind from his hands.

The blonde looked at Menma who nodded, both got back to standing against each other. Back to back, Naruto and Menma noted that their other teammate was probably getting The White Fang Soldiers to safety while they took care of things.

They had been assigned a mission to take out a rather large horde of Grimm in the great wastes was heading toward Kuo Kuana, and Ghira feared that Sienna's aggression would cost the life of the White Fang members she sent there.

Minato assigned his sons to the mission as more of a courtesy.

He planned on giving his son the seat someday, what better way for him to learn that in the field.

Naruto's orange cloak fluttered in the wind as he and Menma faced down another wave of Grimm. The plan was that they'd hold them off until Shajara could get the White Fang members to safety, so they didn't get caught in a crossfire.

"Shajara!" Menma yells out as he tosses a kunai up, signaling that they were ready for the final phase.

The teens were then joined by a white-haired girl with metal claws wrapped around her hands, "raaah!"

She roars as she tears through the beats with her chakra enhanced attacks, jumping back and kicking the head of a Beowolf clean off. The trio stood back to back as they started forming hand seals. The girl finishes hers first, looking at Menma with a smile.

Her green tunic whipped in the winds as Naruto finished his own hand seals. Her green eyes lit up as she saw Menma readying his.

"Menma-kun, on your go!" She yells as saw the Grimm coming.

Menma slammed his hands into the sand, "right, Shajara-chan."

"Doton: Doryūha!" Menma yells as stones began to rise and flow through and around the Grimm.

The white-haired girl smirks as she unleashed her own Jutsu, "Katon: Karyū Endan!"

She jumps up as flames pour from her mouth, igniting the nearby trapped Grimm. The beasts roar out as they thrashed into their stone traps, Naruto smirked as his adamantine chains circled his team. He finished gathering charka before slowly the desert began to churn around him.

Then suddenly a blur of sand began to spin, faster and faster until a vortex formed, "Fūton: Tatsumaki No Jutsu!"

Shajara smirks as she and Menma formed hand seals, "do it Naruto-san!"

"Right," Naruto yells out as he increased the vortex's power!

The beasts inside began to be ripped apart as the flames of fire chakra began to join the winds of wind chakra. Slowly, but surely, the dusty tornado began to ignite. Naruto's chakra barrier stemming from his adamantine chains allowed them protection as the flames roared.

The flaming whirl calms to a stop, the dust dispersing, revealing glass across the desert ground where Naruto and co. were standing. The group looked around, noticing no more Grimm were in the area. Naruto looks at his brother, smiling.

The two shared a fist bump with Shajara. Naruto stares at the great wastes of Menagerie's desert, his cloak fluttered in the winds as he could've sworn someone was watching them. However, he sighed and then watched as Menma and Shajara started walking back without him.

Grimm attacks were common, but something did feel off about this one. Naruto stayed staring into the waste, expecting a giant pair of eyes to open back at him. When nothing happened, he slowly began to walk back.

Back to Kuo Kuana, so they could get back to Ataraishī.

* * *

 _(Jutsu Translations and Japanese honorific lesson, along with name meaning.)_

 _Jutsu._

 ** _Fūton: Kūdan._** _(Wind Style: Air Bullet.)_ _ **  
Fūton: Tatsumaki No Jutsu.**_ _(Wind Style: Tornado/water spout Technique)_ _ **  
Fūton: Reppūshō.**_ _(Wind Style: Gale Palm* bit of irony since his son in the main universe uses this jutsu)_ _ **  
Katon: Kitsunebi.**_ _(Fire Style: Fox Fire.)_ _ **  
Katon: Karyū Endan.**_ _(Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet.)_ _ **  
Doton Doryūha.**_ _(Earth Style: mudflow/earth flow *depends on terrain being used.)_

 _Sahaba (Arabic for a cloud, she gets the name for her white hair and light-colored eyes.)_

 _Shajara (Arabic for Arbor, named because of her green eyes.)_

 _Versilbern (Silvery in German.)_

 _Hephaistos (named after the Greek god of crafting.)_

 _Now some of you may notice my usage of Tou-san and Kaa-san as such._

 _Otosan.  
Okasan._

 _Now both forms are meaning of the same, Otosan and Tou-san are pretty much father, and Okasan and Kaa-san are mother._

 _However, Otosan is a more polite and formal form of saying father instead of Tou-san. The same goes for Okasan._

 _Also, for those that are wondering why Nii-san/chan doesn't have the double i, its simple. In translation, the double i is only needed when ī is present. The letter i with the macron is basically double i in the written word a lot of romaji writers use._

 _So Nii-san/chan or Nīchan/Nīsan is pretty much the same, the latter being a more closely written translate. I'm not Gaijin Goomba so don't expect me to explain it the right way either. TL: DR._

 _Otosan, Okasan, Nīchan, and Nīsan._

 _Are the same as, with the former being a little bit more informal._

 _Tou-san, Ka-chan, Nii-san/chan._

 _Hope this cleared something up if you were reading this, plus this story offers a challenge. Remnant has no usage of honorifics unless you count Lady and Lord or maybe even Sir._

 _If I got this wrong, please don't bite my head off…I can always go back and fix it._

 _-Blaze/Chris._


	8. Chapter 8: Representing

Ataraishī bristled with life as a new day dawned upon the city. Naruto was walking along the dirt roads, he was finishing up a mission. The teenager felt the wind blow past him, he smiles as he looked out toward the open sea. He saw the waters churn, the waves crashing against the shoreline. The teen watches as a pregnant woman helped by her husband out of the house.

There was a cool breeze in the wind today, today was October Tenth, his birthday. He didn't expect anything, his father was always busy, and his mom had a new one year old to take care of. His newest little sister, Uzuaka, was being a brat compared to what they were.

The sixteen-year-old watches as a blacksmith forged some weapons for the local Shinobi Forces. The concept of Shinobi was an easy concept to grasp it would seem, sixteen years ago Naruto's parents started this. What had been just five people, blew up to thirty, then to hundreds. Many didn't use chakra for combat, or the skills they learned to fight, instead, they applied it to daily life.

The Blacksmith, for example, used fire release to amplify his flames, making his steel stronger. Earth users would quickly build waterways now began building houses on the outskirts and helped pave the land for farming. It took a long time, but Ataraishī was self-sustaining.

Walking down the road as a group people approached him, and they held a gift toward Naruto, "happy birthday Naruto-sama!"

He smiles, taking the gift into his hands, "thank you."

"No problem, open it up!" The leader of the group, a woman cheered.

Naruto opens it up, revealing a light blue hakama, and an orange haori with the village symbol on the back. It was made from silk and cotton, from what Naruto could feel. This was obviously a gift meant to show off whenever he got the chance, placed the items back into the box and smiled.

He bowed to them, "thank you, it is a lovely gift. I hope it didn't affect your houses, you all tend to the village way too hard Dattebayo."

"For the child of Minato Namikaze," the woman spoke with a bright smile, "no gift is too big."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head held the box with his right hand, "well that's not true. The greatest gift I can get is from the people I protect. You're my brothers and sisters, my comrades."

"If you don't think a gift is too big," Naruto rubbed his chin with his free hand. "Then help me build Ataraishī, even more, when the time comes."

"Yes sir!" the group shouted in unison.

"Calling the troops to battle," Naruto's eyes widened. "Otosan?"

Minato pats his son's shoulder as he walked to stand beside him. The duo looked so like each other minus the whiskers and round face on Naruto. The blondes shared a smiled as someone got a camera out, chuckling once they ran back into the crowd.

"Otosan," Naruto looked at his father. "How is Okasan, and Uzuaka-chan?"

"They're both doing fine," Minato chuckled as he pulled Naruto to follow him as he began to walk. "Naruto, I know I've been busy lately, and you have been doing a lot of missions."

"I know," Naruto smiled with a small laugh. "So, what's up Otosan?"

"I want you to just help Okasan around the house," Minato patted his son's back. "Let me run the day to day affairs for once, eh?"

Naruto nods as he looked at his father, "Menma come back from his mission yet?"

"Not yet," Minato lamented as he sighed. "You know your younger brother wouldn't miss your brother for the world."

"True," Naruto replied as they walked around the corner of a shop and onto another street. "I just wished that we could do more for our village."

"We do enough," Minato chortled as he draped his arm around Naruto. "The sun rises on us, and we live."

"How many Shinobi are there now," Naruto wondered as he looked at ocean waves. "Dozens?"

"We have two hundred," the older blonde laughed. "The sea grows ever more."

Naruto smiles as he looked as several children ran by him, "yeah…it does."

* * *

The pair make it to their house. It was three stories now, with probably the best-looking décor around. Naruto got ahead of his father and unlocked the door. Allowing Minato to walk in first, but as he walks in, he has a piece of cake smashed into his face!"

"Surprise!" His whole family shouts, including Midori and Samson.

"Gah?!" Naruto nearly breathed in the cake up his nose after it got smashed into him by Akahana.

The teen watches as blue and orange frosting falls from his face. Menma was standing there with Shajara. Akahana runs around toward her mother, sticking her tongue out, playfully teasing her older brother. Samson watches as Midori nursed their child, and Kushina was smiling warmly at Naruto.

Menma walks up to Naruto, flicking him the head, eliciting a yelp from his older brother. The blonde rubbed the sore spot, grumbling as Menma then brought his arms around Naruto.

"Happy birthday Nīchan," Menma said with a smile. "The flick was doubting I'd be back in time, dummy."

"You knew?!" Naruto yells as he blushed a little bit.

Menma laughs as he rubbed his long red hair, "I followed you around the village, it wasn't super hard."

Pinching his nose Naruto just chortles, "so, how was your mission brother?"

"It was good, but c'mon, let's celebrate!" Menma led Naruto toward the table, "to the greatest Nīchan, and future leader of Ataraishī!"

"Happy birthday Naruto-Taichou," Shajara said with a smile and greeted him with a handshake.

Naruto giggled and sat down, "thanks Shajara-san. Okasan, Obasan, sit down you've got babies."

Midori laughed, and Kushina just sighed, "just because we've got little ones doesn't make us helpless."

"I know Okasan, but you and Obasan need to relax. After all, I know Otosan isn't getting up at night to change diapers," Minato shot a playful glare at his son for the comment. "After all, you both work too hard."

"Speaking of working too hard," Menma rubbed Naruto's shoulders. "You're very tense brother, how many scouting missions did Sahaba-san send you on?"

"Too many," Naruto leans back before flicking his brother's head, "and that was for earlier."

"Why you?!" Menma and Naruto got ready to leap at each other.

Kushina uses her chains from her back to hold both down, "Alright you two…later. Naruto, what would you like to do today since it is your birthday?"

"I was thinking we can go to ramen bar," Naruto answered as he pecked a piece of cake of his face. "I'll pay, after all I've been saving up."

"Speaking of that," Minato chuckled as he looked at Shajara and Menma. "I got some good news."

"I think I should tell him Otosan," Menma interjected as he looked at his brother. "You know me and Shajara have been good friends since grade school."

"Yeah?" Naruto questioned and then noticed that she was holding his hand.

Menma giggled as he rubbed the back of his head, "she's my girlfriend."

Naruto looked at her, "bout time honestly, what were you waiting for a proposal?"

Shajara gave a boisterous laugh as she slapped his shoulder, "careful now, or I'll end up just more than his girlfriend one day."

"You are both fourteen, sheesh, it's a little young to be thinking about that. You know," Naruto took another piece of the smashed cake into his mouth, "we have a meeting regarding Vale tomorrow."

"I know, and you'll be attending, are you volunteering?" Minato questioned Naruto.

His oldest son nodded as he looked at his father, "yeah, it was my plan to go into Vale as a representative of Ataraishī."

"You know Blake Belladonna ran away, right?" Minato asked as he looked at Naruto.

Naruto nods as he sighs, "and I know why she sent me a text message stating that Adam has gone bunkers with power."

"Of course," Kushina rolls her eyes, "I never liked that boy."

"If I run into her there, I'll make sure to inform Ghira and Kali," Naruto said to his parents before getting up. "I'm going to go wash up, and we'll head out, alright?"

"Sure son," Minato pats Naruto's shoulder, "we'll be down here."

* * *

Menma was watching as his older brother and mother danced. It was a simple dance where two people waltz around with the back of their hands together. After a few rotations, they would spin opposite before waltzing the opposite direction.

Naruto and Kushina put a little flare into their dance by clapping their hands when they spun around. Minato was sitting with his youngest daughter watches his son and wife dance, he laughed when Naruto almost stepped on Kushina's toes.

"Careful there," Minato laughed as he watches Naruto spin in unison Kushina. "You almost broke your Okasan's foot."

"Pfft," Naruto stuck his tongue at his father. "I like to see you try to do better old man!"

Minato handed his youngest daughter to Midori, who gladly took her. "I gotta go school, my son, a little bit."

"I know," Midori giggled as she bounced her son in her lap with the girl. "Hey there Uzuaka."

The baby gives a smile, happily babbling as she looked at her fellow infant. Samson laughed with Midori as the two began to vie for her affection. She turns around, watching as Minato pushes Naruto with his hip out of the way, sticking his own tongue out at his son before speeding up the dance with his wife.

Pouting a little bit, Naruto still had a smile on his lips. Walking over toward their table, the blonde took a seat by Midori, looking at his baby sister. Midori nods at him and he simply plucked the little girl up from her lap. The girl giggles and began to rest herself against her older brother.

Uzuaka was the first and only Namikaze born without whisker marks. Instead, she had more pointed fangs that grew in early first, so she couldn't really be breastfed. Naruto reached over for her bottle, laughing when she babbles and pointing at it. His haori had some milk drop on it when it fell out of his little sister's mouth, but he didn't pay any heed to it.

Instead, he just snuggled up to her, smiling.

"So, this is an Ataraishī party," a man commented as he took a seat at their table. "Quite frankly I am a little bit impressed at the rustic nature of it."

Naruto took a glance at the man, he had silver hair and hazel eyes. The man also had a mug in his hand, from what Naruto could smell it was cocoa, something rather enjoyed. The two met eyes as Naruto looked toward him, he then hands Midori his little sister back.

"Ozpin-san," Naruto greeted as he stood up. "You are early."

"I'm merely lucky enough to arrive in Kuo Kuana early," Ozpin watched as the village leader and wife danced. "You must be his son, what is your name?"

"Naruto Namikaze," Naruto answered as he extended his hand out. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I was going to be at the meeting tomorrow."

"Ah, well, as you may know, The Vale Government have taken interest in Ataraishī. We're looking for someone willing to represent this village, and how they use _"magic"_ to bend the elements." Ozpin states as he looked at Naruto, "and seeing as you have an eye for adventure…"

Minato stops dancing with his wife and walks over interjects, "Ozpin…didn't expect you here so soon."

"Forgive the intrusion," Ozpin apologized as he rubbed the back of his head. "I was merely having a conversation with the future Ataraishī Chief."

"As I can see," Minato looked at Midori. "Midori-chan, you and Samson-kun please escort children elsewhere."

"Yes sir," Midori picks up her son and Uzuaka, "Samson can you get Uzuaka?"

"Sure dear," Samson took Minato's youngest daughter into his arms. "Shall we inform Kushina-sensei?"

"Yes," Minato told them as he motions for them to leave, and he watches as his oldest son gets up.

Minato took a deep breath, "Naruto…you stay."

Naruto stopped, plopping back down into a seat, "yes Otosan."

"Normally it is custom for a party to bring refreshments, especially if it is the receiving party. However," Ozpin smiled as he leaned back in the chair he occupied. "Me dropping unannounced is a bit uncouth and for that, I apologize."

"Don't make a big deal of it," Minato waved it off as he watches the partygoers slowly leave the room. "Though your timing could've been a little bit better, my son was having a good time on his sixteenth."

"Ahh, yes, I do apologize for that as well Naruto…um…san?" Ozpin asked for confirmation.

Naruto nods, "yes, we're on friendly terms, so "san" is the corrected Ozpin-san."

"Truly a culture based on respect," Ozpin praised as he yawns. "I'll be frank, many of my fellow councilmembers do not like the idea of this so-called _"Magic"_ being taught publicly."

Minato shook his head, "it's not magic, it's merely manipulation of the elements through the combination of physical and spiritual energy."

"Aura?" Ozpin hummed his question.

Minato gave small chortle, "close, it is called Chakra. Chakra and Aura are basically in principle the same thing. The only difference is that Aura has more of the physical energy aspect than spiritual."

"Two sides to the same coin," Ozpin realized with a laugh. "My people fear many things, yet yours do not fear many."

"We've no reason," The Namikaze Head stated. "The only thing we must fear, as with all intelligent life here, is the fear of fear itself."

"Hmm," The Headmaster of Beacon Academy pursed his lips. "Do you know that you are a bit of celebrity in the main continents?"

"I don't care," Minato acknowledged with a frown. "People will tell stories without seeing the being they tell about. Just like those people will tell of me, but never know me."

Ozpin nods, "a brutal cycle, myth, and reality."

"I think that cooperation would be good for both of us," Naruto chimed in as he folded his arms. "I may be young, but it'll fall to my shoulders to make Ataraishī survive. Otosan and Okasan built this dream, and I want it to live."

A proud smile came of the father's face as he placed his hand on his son's shoulder. Naruto looked at him, Minato gave him a nod of approval. Ozpin smiled at this and looking about the area. There were lanterns and banners with the village's symbol on it. A fighting force of highly skilled warriors to boot, this place was a fortress none dared try to conquer.

"You have high expectations for yourself," Ozpin praised Naruto as he several figures run on top of buildings. "I have no doubt you're powerful enough to defend your people as well."

"I am," Naruto agreed as he took a sip of his drink that he left at the table from earlier. "However, I don't go around announcing to the world what I got up my sleeve."

"Fair enough, it is always good to keep at least two aces under your glove." Ozpin said before yawning, "but since we're here now…"

"I think it could wait until the morning," Minato tried to parlay the meeting only for Naruto shake his head. "Naruto?"

"Otosan," Naruto smiled as he looked at Ozpin. "The needs of the village outweigh my need for a peaceful birthday."

"I know," Minato rolled his eyes, "I taught well enough I suppose."

Naruto took a deep breath, "so, Ozpin-san, what is that you wanted?"

"Security mostly," Ozpin replied before taking a sip of his cocoa.

"Security," Naruto hummed as he thought about it. "The Vytal Tournament is in nearly a years' time, correct?"

Ozpin smiles, "you keep yourself well informed, it is."

"You're worried that someone may make a move, honestly, I may not be super book smart. However, I know well enough that your weakest point is always at your strongest, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." Naruto kept his decorum as he became blunt.

"You think that someone, say an enemy of all four Kingdoms, would make their move?" Ozpin inquired.

Naruto grumbles a little, " _Five_ Kingdoms. Menagerie is a kingdom, her citizens, be they Faunus or Human are brother and sister under shared banners."

"You are aware that The White Fang have suspected in multiple robberies in Vale, correct?" Ozpin questioned Naruto.

"I am," Naruto concurred as he leans back in his chair. "However, I will not sit here and say that I'm surprised."

Naruto looks at his father, "Otosan…you were around the coronation of Sienna Khan as the High Leader of The White Fang."

"Heh," Minato grumbled a little bit. "My how the shoe fits well on you, but anyway…"

Minato then looked at Ozpin, "Sienna Khan's power grab left a big vacuum. The vacuum has driven the other sectors of The Fang, The Vale, and Vacuo sectors especially, into a bit of power grab."

The Leader of Ataraishī then spoke, "shady alliances, clandestine operations, betrayal, and subterfuge. These things hurt the good people within the group, while extremist makes life tough for both parties."

"I'm assuming you have inside people," Ozpin assumed as he looked at both. "I would hope that you aren't one of the fringe elements."

"We're not," Naruto spoke with a soft voice. "We're merely caught in a very interesting middle."

"That you are," Ozpin looked toward Minato. "Minato-san, can I add the san with you?"

"You may," Minato crossed his arms. "However, don't be afraid to add something to the end of someone's name. Just don't refer to me as chan."

"Ah, because that's mostly used for girls I assume." Ozpin teases a little bit.

"It is," Minato leaned forward, "now get to the point."

Ozpin looks at Naruto, "I think your son would be the perfect representative."

"I can do more than just that," Naruto offered up as he gave Ozpin a smile. "I just need a few days to prepare and I'll ship out."

"Very well, well these were eventful talks," Ozpin got up and offered his hand.

Minato and Naruto smiled, they took it and shook the man's hand. They all parted with a bow, with the father and son walking back toward their house. Ozpin, on the other hand, saw two people drop down in front of him. He saw that they were wearing masks in the likeness of animals.

"Ozpin-san," one of them said. "Forgive us, but you must not freely walk around Ataraishī without authorization."

The Headmaster nods, "very well, may I please be escorted to my dwellings for the next few days?"

"Yes sir," the one with tiger mask answered. "Please, just follow us."

"I meant to ask do you have a CCT tower," asked the person in The Tiger Mask. "I have to make call."

"We don't," the other one in a Swallow Mask answered. "Kuo Kuana has a CCT tower, perhaps you and Naruto-sama can head there tomorrow."

"You seem to respect the son of your leader heavily," Ozpin smiles as he looked at them, "how well do you trust him?"

"Naruto-sama saved my daughter's life and his son's on a mission gone wrong against the Grimm. Without him…I rather not get into it." The mask wearer, a woman, praised.

 _'_ _It's not all for a show,'_ Ozpin looked over his shoulder to see Naruto and Minato looking at him after they had stopped walking. _'He is legitimately considered a hero like his father."_

* * *

"Ghira-Ojisan, Kali-Obasan!" Naruto called out as he packed his backpack into a large estate.

Ghira, a very muscular Faunus man, with black hair and hazel eyes smiled. He looked at the blonde with mirth in his eyes, quickly walking down to meet the teen. Kali was flanked by a couple of servants on her way down the steps to meet the blonde.

"Naruto," Ghira ruffled the boy's hair. "Welcome to your home away from home."

Naruto rolls his eyes while giggling a little, "Hey, Kali-obasan!"

"Hello young man, my, you get more handsome every time you visit." Kali complimented the teen, "so, what brings you here?"

"I'm just stopping by to tell you guys bye," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I'm going to Vale as a representative for Ataraishī…you know all that political bull…"

Naruto noted Ghira's glare, "…crap."

The man smiles, "good, and oh my you've brought a very distinguished guest with you already."

Ozpin nods when his acknowledged by Ghira, "you must be The Great Ghira Belladonna."

"I don't know if that title means much these days," Ghira admitted with a small smile. "However, I must ask why you are here?"

"I came personally to talk to Minato Namikaze, instead, I was used as a test for his son's future chances at leading the village. Shrewd, but well played, I also would like to talk to you both privately with Naruto." Ghira and Kali look at each other.

They lead them both toward the private study, Kali motioning for their guards to leave. Closing the doors and locking them, Naruto took a seat at one of the big comfy leather chairs Kali loved. Ozpin did the same, not hiding a moan that escaped his lips as he felt the soft fabric on his back.

Ozpin watched as they took their seats, "okay, this information is regarding your daughter."

Ghira and Kali look at each other, Kali then asks Ozpin, "what do you know?"

"She is alive, she is healthy, and very talented youth. She came to Beacon, at first, I thought she was making a play for The White Fang in the region, but she told me everything. Adam Taurus, The Leader of Vale's sect has become corrupt." Ozpin reveals to them, making Kali frown.

She sighs, "I wished she'd listen to me about him…"

"Kali," Ghira comforted his wife. "We all make dumb mistakes in our youth, but Adam will take her leaving personally."

"Hold on," Naruto growled as he looked at them. "Are you saying Adam may try to hurt Blake-Nīchan?"

Ghira nods as he looked at Naruto, "we're in no position to try and protect her."

"Don't worry," Naruto stood up as he looked at them. "I'll do it, I'm going there anyway."

Kali smiles and reached over taking Naruto's hand, "thank you, you were always like a little brother to our daughter."

"You are family," Naruto tells her as he rubbed the back of his head. "When Ghira-Ojisan allowed Otosan to settle here, my father's village thrived. Thusly, we do what we can for each other."

The former High Leader of The White Fang nods, "still Naruto, its more than we could ask of you."

"No," Naruto disagreed, "its not enough."

"When does your ship leave?" Ghira inquired as he looked at the youth in the eyes.

Naruto frowned a little, "it leaves out in a few hours."

"How unfortunate, we wish you could stay for tea and such. However, you have a job to do. Naruto," Kali looked at her adoptive nephew, "please give this to Blake."

Kali takes a necklace off her neck, "that way she'll know that we know she's safe."

"It would be an honor," Naruto accepted with a smile.

"Go on now, git." Ghira walks over toward his study's door, "you've got a boat to catch."

Naruto and Ozpin walk out of the study and quickly out of the estate. There, they saw the bright Fall sun of mid-October The two look at one another, with Naruto feeling some trepidation in taking this journey.

No team to back him up.

"Naruto-san," Ozpin motioned for him to go. "We must quickly catch the boat."

"I understand," Naruto took a deep breath, "I…never been so far from home before."

"The World is now yours," Ozpin laughed as he and Naruto walked. "What will you do, I wonder so much if life threw you a curveball?"

"Don't know," Naruto chuckled in response. "Guess swing for the fences."

Ozpin couldn't help but pat the boy's shoulder, "I think you'll do just fine."

"So," Naruto looked at a cloud, "what will I be doing there?"

"You'll basically talk to the council, provide minor security for Beacon during Vytal in August of next year. Hopefully, just maybe, we can hash out a deal that allows my country to work with your people." Ozpin offers up as he and Naruto rounded a corner.

Naruto smiled, "I'd like that."


	9. Chapter 9: Two Great Young Men

Naruto was on the deck of a ship, his formal attire on as he ventured about. Ozpin was below deck, doing paperwork, the heir of Ataraishī stared out into the ocean waves. His sixteenth birthday had come, and went without much fuss, save for Ozpin's visit. His father was back at the village, doing everything in his power to prepare Ataraishī for the world stage.

The teen had huffed, the large ocean reflected the light of the sun. Sparkling, crystal blue, water flowed around the ship. _The Aquila Pearl_ as the ship was called sailed peacefully amongst the waves, it was a cargo ship, but with a guest compliment. It flew the Vale flag high, it flapped in the ocean winds, the sun high above on a beautiful day at sea.

"So," Ozpin interrupted Naruto's sightseeing, "What is your official title in Ataraishī?"

Naruto thought it over, answering with the truth, "Chunin, it's a step before becoming an official Leader…Jonin."

"Ahh, well, I don't get how that works. You see, when we make teams in Beacon and all other places, we determined a lead right then and there. No matter what the skill level was shown before, some people just thrive being a leader more than a follower." The Headmaster of Beacon explained, looking at the ocean.

The blonde next to him rolled his eyes, "Yet, my people value merit more than simple selection. No doubt your people earned their positions, but despite being born to the leaders my future position has to be _earned_ before I can call myself Hokage."

"Ho…Kage?" Ozpin inquired.

"In the old of my parent's world, it means Fire Shadow, The Will of Fire is our core concept, so long as a spark remains…a flame can still burn." Naruto explained his people more, "Each person that we bring into our village, each newborn, is taught this concept."

"An infinite willpower, hmm, interesting." Ozpin complimented Naruto's views, "But, still…our enemy is thousands of years old."

"Are you talking about The Grimm," Naruto turned toward the weapons on the ship, "Or yourselves?"

"Touché, but I'm pretty sure the history of Shinobi is no different, it seems no matter what world…the base human concept of war is still common." The Headmaster bemoaned, "It is both our people's most detestable legacy."

Naruto sighed, "Which is why my father has been hesitant to bring Ataraishī into the light. Chakra, Jutsu, all of them come from my parent's world. I was born here, but I inherit my parent's, and that is the protect of those who endure…Shinobi."

"I understand, but you must also know that keeping Ataraishī's activity hidden is a breeding ground of mistrust. Slander, gossip, and even means to declare one an enemy lay in such mistrust." Ozpin stated in reply, pointing out the flaws of Naruto's parent's ways.

The blonde looked into Ozpin's eyes, "And my people don't discriminate against people of a more animalistic persuasion."

"You wonder why The White Fang become the way they are now, it's because you can only extend the oak branch out so much before one must draw their sword. I'm not exactly a sympathizer to terrorist activity, but the fault lays within your own walls and government for Fang's response. Violence begets violence, and this is something that has been brewing for years and years." Naruto finished countering Ozpin and reached over to take a sip of his drink.

He sputtered a little bit, "Wait, this isn't my water…"

"I figured teen like yourself might want to try something more exotic, that is coconut water." Ozpin revealed, picking up the glass, "Its healthy."

Naruto looked at him, "Are we sure we're talking about water because this tastes nothing like water."

"Well, I did say it coconut water, didn't I?" Ozpin cheekily questioned the teen.

The blonde just huffs, "You'd have to be a nut to drink it…it's disgusting."

Standing up straight, Naruto stretched, "Well, wonder how mad Otosan is going to be when he finds out you _two_ left."

"Beg your pardon?" Ozpin questioned Naruto.

Watching as the air distorted, revealing a redhead with green eyes and white-haired girl with equally green eyes. Menma and Shajara stood as the air quits distorting, the girl's hands were in the hand seal for Monkey. Laughing, sheepishly, Naruto's younger brother rubbed the back of his head. The glare of his older brother made him feel very, very, small.

"Hey, Nīchan, wassup…Dattekayo?" Menma nervously said, watching as his brother folded his arms.

Shajara equally laughed nervously, "So, we've got some explaining to do…don't we?"

"More than you realize, this mission was mine and mine alone. I decided to go here and represent us; besides, I went alone just…in case…" Naruto pinched his nose as he spoke, "Why did you even bring Shajara?"

"I brought her with me because we're a team. You bring the wind, I bring the earth, and she brings the fire." Menma replied, putting both hands behind his head, relaxing.

The oldest son of Namikaze growled, "You're _not_ sweet talking me like you do Okasan or Otosan. However, it has been three days, and we're halfway to Vale…"

"Does that mean…?" Menma went to speak, only for Naruto to hold his hand up.

Naruto sighs, smiling as he spoke, "It means you can consider yourself my honor guard for the time being."

"Yeah!" Shajara pumped her fists, "Menma-kun, hear that, we're home free!"

"No, you aren't," Naruto corrected her, making them cut their celebrations short. "I am sending your asses home when the first meeting ends. Especially you Menma, you know better, aren't you supposed to be a responsible leader in my stead, Dattebayo?"

"Pfft, I'm fifteen, not a baby." Menma argued, looking at his girlfriend, "Besides…last time I checked I have a girlfriend."

Naruto response was swift, he hit Menma over the head, "Idiot! Having a girlfriend doesn't make you mature, immature brat! As for being fifteen, your birthday is next month, ya moron!"

Menma got up against Naruto's face, both glaring at each other, ready to trade blows. Shajara stepped in between them, giggling slightly.

"The way I see it, boys, you're both being very immature. Besides, Menma has a point, you should never go alone. Minato-sama makes teams for a reason, and though we're trio, we're a trio badass Shinobi. So, let's walk into Vale with some swagger, show that we can't be pushed around despite being small, and do _our_ mission to our utmost ability." Shajara reasoned between them, patting both of their chests, her green tunic fluttering me the wind.

Ozpin smiled, "I have to agree, politics is a very complicated animal. You must show no weakness, the game is very complicated, with a very clear winner at the end of it all."

"So, Ozpin, where do you stand on us?" Naruto laid his back against the railing.

"Hmm, that's a complicated question. My only concern is Vale and Remnant at large. Though you are Remnant born, you're no means us, and that may scare people. I, however, embrace the unusual." The Headmaster answered with a smile, holding his cocoa up, "Curiously is the fuel for discovery after all."

Naruto nodded at Ozpin's answer, "Well, as far as I'm concerned, Menagerie and Ataraishī are my home. I'm surprised that Ojisan Ghira didn't get invited to represent Menagerie in this meeting, considering without him there would never be an Ataraishī."

"Hmm," Ozpin hummed in thought before replying, "We could still send an invitation. However, it should be noted that Blake Belladonna is among my students, and we do not want an incident if she feels pressured into meeting her parents."

"Leave Blake to me, we grew up together, after all, I think she'll be happy to see a familiar face that doesn't wear a white mask over it. Speaking of which, Sienna Khan, she stays out…" Naruto simply stated.

"Sienna Khan was never invited, but I thought you would've seen this as a bad political move, you are isolating a key member in Menagerie society." Ozpin pointed out, concerned over Naruto's hostility toward Sienna.

Naruto sighed, "It's not that I hate Sienna, I don't. Sienna is more hotheaded than me, she even gives my Okasan a run for her money. Plus, with politics, I already know that The False Schnee will be there."

"False Schnee?" Ozpin questioned, bewildered at the comment.

"Jacques Gelé, or as you call him now, Jacques Schnee. I know all about him, I don't like him, a greedy man always cutting corners. Worker safety, union busting, pay to cut, a shell of a person that calls himself a man." Naruto explained his nickname for Jacques, spitting on the man verbally.

Ozpin hummed, "I ask that you don't carry such blatant distain in the meeting, sentiments are easily swayed in the face of hostility."

"True," Naruto conceded as he looked at Menma and Shajara lounging in chairs. "It's really difficult…"

"Hmm," Ozpin looked at the blonde, "What is?"

"Like I said before my, position is constantly challenged. However, I was trained first as a fighter, and I have defended my village and even Kuo Kuana in more dire situations than The White Fang could handle. Yet, here, I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders…a weight that I alone must bear." The Shinobi spoke from the heart as he leaned back more on the railing.

Naruto frowned, taking a deep breath, "If people think I'm walking into this with the power of a prince, and my father a king, they overestimate me…and their sentiments are very misplaced."

"At least you're not being set off on a political marriage," The silver-haired man told Naruto, which made him blush a little bit.

"Does thing even exist anymore? I couldn't imagine my Otosan, let alone Okasan, agreeing to it. In fact, I'm pretty sure Okasan would be _very livid_ if that was ever a proposition brought up." Naruto said while scratching his whisker marks, looking at several seagulls flying over.

"In Atlas, political marriages still happen. Its sad reality, especially amongst the nobility of that floating city. Everything there reflects greed and vanity, in its highest caliber. Not to mention their misplaced pride in technology, often forgetting, it takes hands to build said technology." Ozpin bemoaned Atlas's state, and then he huffed slightly as bird droppings nearly fell on him.

Naruto laughed slightly, "Seems like nature hates you a little bit."

"Trust me, I know what hate looks like, if that's nature hating me then I'll gladly take some more of it…" He replied to Naruto, taking another sip of his cocoa.

* * *

"I cannot believe Menma would be so reckless," Minato grumbled as he looked at the headcount.

Kushina sighed, walking behind him, "He is our son…reckless."

"Still," Minato leaned back in his chair, "I don't like the fact that both of our sons are going into the land we've never been in."

"Naruto can handle himself, and besides, our children are growing up. Menma has a girlfriend, Naruto is training to take over the seat you are in, Akahana is getting ready to be apart of the academy. Not to mention Uzuaka, she's growing up fast." Kushina stated before placing her hands on Minato's shoulders, "You're really tensed…"

"I'm just worried, but I see your point, Kushi…" Minato conceded with a small sigh, "One day I'll using a cane and perhaps our sons and daughters will be living elsewhere."

"Be like The Sandaime, go into retirement? Well, probably in his case, out of retirement…" Kushina lamented as she looked down into Minato's eyes.

She then bit her lip, speaking what was on her mind. "If we found a way to go back, would you want too?"

Minato frowns, thinking about her question before answering plainly, "I don't know…"

"All my life, all our life, we've strived to be Hokage of Konohagakure. Then our accidental teleportation happened, and now we're here. I now am a founder to a different village, I have a bristling family, I have you…" The blonde-haired man sucked his teeth a little, continuing, "In a way I would love to go back. However, with so much time passing, who knows what'll await us."

Stopping her massage of his shoulders, Kushina leaned down on him, placing her head on his shoulder as they look at the photograph of their family. Naruto was a younger, starting the academy, and Menma was riding on his shoulders with Akahana still an infant in her mother's arms. The family picture would have to be updated, but Kushina smiled at it all the same.

"I think our mission is to do right by our family," Kushina stated before standing back up straight. "Besides, with everything going on, we've got hundreds of people that look to us for guidance…perhaps thousands if you consider Menagerie at large."

Minato nodded, "You're right."

"What did I ever do to deserve someone like you, Kushi-chan?" Minato looked up at her with a smile, only to receive a flick in the head.

"You loved me for me, dummy," She laughed before leaning down and kissing him.

* * *

Menma was doing pushups in the room Naruto was staying in, the small couch was occupied by Naruto and his clones, who was currently looking at various dossiers. He was being assisted by Shajara, who was grabbing ones that he finished. It had to do with the various people that would be at the gathering, along with what The Vytal Tournament was, and the details of Amity Coliseum.

Most of the dossiers were provided by Ozpin himself, but some of them were what Naruto had gotten from his father. Sighing, he finished the small pile and heard a knock at the door. Menma got up, answering it.

"Good evening, sir, I have the food that you requested." The Caterer stated, speaking in a soft voice.

Naruto got up from the couch, "Thank you, we'll take the cart in here. Come back in an hour."

"Of course, sir." The Caterer bowed, acknowledging his orders, "Enjoy."

He walked away, allowing Menma to grab the cart and close the door. The smells of the various food filled the room, making everyone's mouth water. Opening the platter lids, they began to set the food on the tatami mat Naruto set up earlier.

Shajara sat down on her knees first, followed by Menma who sat across from her, and then Naruto. Sat out the plates for them, and they began to place the various food into them. Chicken, pork, and even lamb. Something called steak, and even buffalo chicken. It was joined by steam vegetables, and fruits from Vale.

"Wow…this…is so…good!" Menma stated between bites.

Shajara was turning red a little bit, "That chicken thing, the buffalo…that's a little bit spicy for me."

"Naruto, where did you get the money to afford this?" Menma inquired, finishing a piece of steak soon afterward.

"Ozpin offered to buy," Naruto replied before finishing his plate. "He should be joining us soon."

Everyone was about to go back to digging in when there was a sudden jolt. Shajara fell backward, with Menma barely keeping up on his knees. Naruto was on his feet in an instant, that's when a warning buzzer filled the halls of the ship, everyone looked at each other.

"Well, …that can't be good, Dattekayo." Menma got up, looking at the buzzer going off in the room as well.

The ship was hit with another jolt, this was much larger than before and even made Naruto back a little bit. Getting toward the door, the blonde slammed it open, jogging down the hall as Menma and Shajara followed behind him.

* * *

"Capitan," A sailor yelled as he looked at the radar, "Contact with a creature, it isn't a Feilong sir, this is bigger!"

"Sound the general alarm, get everyone ready for battle stations, immediately!" The Capitan ordered, looking toward Ozpin as he entered the control room.

Ozpin looked at the radar, it was a massive creature, and by the looks of it, it was following them. Another jolt signaled the creature was ramming them, but then it became apparent why as they saw a small rock formation near an island.

The Capitan became aware, "Portman, Anchor us!"

"Aye-aye, sir!" Portmen yelled, pulling the anchoring lever, watching as the massive weight slammed into the water.

The ship came to a sudden halt as the anchor bottomed, Ozpin had a nervous sweat on him as he saw the object quickly move to the front of the boat. Everyone held their breath, but then the hulking mass emerged with a mighty roar.

"Oh, my Gods, it's a fucking Leviathan!" Portman screamed as everyone raced to start manning the small cannons on the ship.

Ozpin growled, quickly leaving the control room, as he rounded the corner in the hallway Naruto and the others quickly joined him.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked as he walked with Ozpin, quickly joining rank with the man.

"Leviathan, off the front of the ship, the ship firing their cannons, but I doubt it'll do much," Ozpin stated as he exited the halls, and went out onto the deck with Naruto and co.

Naruto whistled, "That's big…very big."

The monstrous Grimm roared out, shaking the ship. The blonde looked toward his brother, smiling a little bit as he slipped off his haori. The clothing flopped to the floor, revealing Naruto's mesh armor underneath with some armor under it. Ozpin watched as Menma did the same, Shajara was about to join, but Menma placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about this one Shajara, we got this one." Menma stated to her, walking forward with his brother.

"Ozpin," Naruto looked at the Headmaster of Beacon, "Tell ship to brace for heavy waves."

Ozpin looked confused until Naruto and Menma both sat down, pressing their knuckles together. The beast noticed them, through its eyes it saw energy slowly seeping from the ocean into the two teens it targeted, lurching back it started gathering something into its mouth. Ozpin stepped in front of the boys, only to have a hand pull him back.

"Ozpin-san, I don't recommend standing in front of them…" Shajara watched as flames started forming at the beast's mouth, "They're about to show you the highest caliber of Shinobi strength."

Menma smirked as he stood up first, his face had small warts on it, he rapidly went through hand seals before finishing with the bird hand seal. The ship began to vibrate, water rising around it as Menma's eyelids had a small tint of orange around them.

As the Leviathan Grimm went to launch its massive breath of flames at the boys, a sudden rise of a long dragon made of water caused everyone on the ship to look on in awe. The water dragon slammed into the bottom of the beast's mouth. Its head being forced up, the massive stream of fire launched upward filled the sky with a red hot flame, the dragon dissipated as Menma sat back down.

Naruto was next to get up, unlike Menma, his appearance was totally normal except for the orange shade around his eyelids. Opening his eyes, the former blues had turned golden, with a toad-like pupil in the middle of them. The blonde took a deep breath as the beast raised its right up, intending to crush the ship.

"Shajara…what happened to Naruto?" Ozpin inquired, watching as the beast brought its fist down.

Shajara smirked as Naruto simply jumped up, "Senin Moto…Sage Mode."

Naruto cocks his fist back before lashing out with a massive punch, meeting the beast's slamming hand. A shockwave rippled from the impact, shaking the ship as the beast's hand was sent backward. Finishing his own Senin Moto, Menma stood up, watching as Naruto landed beside him. Both Namikaze sons stood side by side as Perfect Sages.

"You support, Menma. I'll take the fight directly to it, but first…let's get it away from the ship before we accidentally destroy it!" Naruto ordered as he jumped with Menma, both boys weaving the same hand seals.

"Fūton: Reppūshō Rendan!" Naruto and Menma screamed out together, both launching massive wind blasts from their palms.

The impacts against The Leviathan caused it step back, forcing it back toward the small island. It screamed out in pain as Naruto turned on the last blast, making the wind sharper, slicing through its left palm. The piece it sliced through fell off into the ocean, turning into black dust. Menma caught Naruto by his legs, landing on the deck of the ship before spinning around.

Throwing his older brother, Menma watched as Naruto went into the air toward The Leviathan. He looked toward Shajara, nodding as he leaped over the side. Running along the water, Ozpin was stunned at their power, amazed as Menma ran across the water to join his brother in combat against the Leviathan. They heard the massive Grimm scream out in rage as Naruto kicked right in the face. Using the Senjutsu techniques his father taught, the force of the kick was magnified by nature itself.

The beast howled, lurching to the side it had been kicked too. Smirking, Naruto saw it gather the fire into its mouth, and launch it toward him. Ozpin was about to make a move, only for Naruto to appear besides Menma in a yellow flash. Both brothers ran together in unison, kicking up waves under the force of their power.

"Synch with me, Menma!" Naruto yelled as he held out his knuckle.

Menma slammed his knuckle against his brother's, both suddenly increased in power as they started sharing chakra between each other. The beast gathered the fire into its mouth once more, launching straight at the brothers. Both leaped upward into the air, dodging the massive stream of fire as they twirled and formed hand seals.

"Fūton: Kūdan!" Naruto screamed as he launched several large blasts of wind out of his mouth, Menma smirked, finishing his hand seals.

"Katon: Kitsunebi!" Menma shouted, launching the mini fireballs that gathered around him into Naruto's wind blasts.

Both combined, forming massive blasts of wind and flame that impact the monster. Igniting it in some areas, forcing it to go below the waves to quench the flames on its body. Landing on the water, Naruto and Menma stood back to back. Waiting on the beast to emerge again. Both started sensing the area around them before leaping up as the beast tried to eat them from below, emerging from the waves. _The Aquila Pearl_ rocked in the waves, forcing people to hang on for dear life on the deck as Ozpin was helped by Shajara to hang on.

Both Sages blasted each other away before the beast could swallow either one of them. Naruto landed nearby, behind the beast and looked underwater. He saw that the beast was standing on the shallow ocean floor. He looked at Menma, who had caught the attention of the beast.

"Menma, go under, lock 'em down!" Naruto ordered his little brother, quickly launching several wind blasts from his mouth to get the monster's attention.

Menma looked down, noting the ocean floor's rocky terrain. He took a deep breath before diving underwater. He heard the loud thumps of the beast's legs and the splashing from above. Using all his remaining Nature Chakra, Menma clapped his hands.

 _'_ _Doton: Doryūha!'_ The stones and muddy floor of the ocean began to move on his command.

Focusing hard, his nose began to bleed as the mud and stone leaped up and wrapped itself around the legs of the beast. It traveled up, covering and solidifying around the beast as it went. It began to travel above the waves, toward the midsection of the beast, trapping it inside of a torrent of stone and mud. Swimming up, Menma poked his head from the water, breathing hard.

"Nīchan, do it!" The redhead screamed to Naruto.

Naruto formed created two clones by him, holding his hands out, "Alright!"

A ball of chakra began to form as his clones began to gather wind chakra into it and shape it. Slowly a bladed ball of chakra began to form, enhanced by wind chakra. Naruto focused hard, forming a shell of chakra around it and using the last bits of his own Nature Chakra to create a shell around it. Cocking his hand back, Naruto aimed the ball of chakra at the head of the monster.

'Eat this you overgrown lizard Grimm," Naruto launches his attack with a yell. "Rasenshuriken!"

Menma and everyone else watched as the condensed ball of wind chakra and natural energy soared upward to the beast's head. It impacted with a hard thud, exploding with a massive bang that sent a shockwave through the water as a massive sphere of wind formed. Shajara's eyes widened in amazement as the beast's body spasmed, falling forward from the wind sphere, it's head missing.

Menma's eyes widened when he realized the beast would fall onto him, however, his brother appeared, grabbing him. Both disappeared in a yellow, ending up back on the boat as the beast exploded into black dust. Naruto watched as Menma smiled brightly, punching his shoulder before Naruto returned the favor.

Ozpin looked at the two boys, his hands slightly shaking, _'Even back then…such power was rare…'_

The teens stood up together with Shajara hugging both from behind, The Capitan of the ship looked at his crew in the control room. They all looked at each other, questioning if they saw the right thing, or if this was all just an illusion. A sailor held his religious necklace, and looked at The Capitan, and nodded.

"Right then, full speed ahead, make full haste to exit the area. Don't want any more of those bastard popping up!" The Capitan ordered his crew.

"Next stop Vale City!"


	10. Chapter 10: Friendship Beacon

(Thank you guys!

Much love.

-Blaze/Chris.)

* * *

Vale's harbor was large, incredibly so. Naruto and co. looked at the various ships, even the warlike naval vessels at the end of the docks that were gated off. Technology was Remnant's powerhouse, and he could see why. The rampart lowered on the ship, allowing people to embark onto the docks. Flanking his left and right, Menma and Shajara walked ahead of Naruto.

The Shinobi looked at the various people leaving, and with them in formal attire, they slightly stuck out like a sore thumb. Walking along the small roads leading to the docks. Naruto, for the first time, saw how truly a city should look like. Massive buildings, sprawling across all his view, and tall skyscrapers high into the sky. Some buildings were obviously armed with turrets, especially the taller ones, on the off chance of a Grimm invasion.

"Welcome to Vale City," Ozpin told them as he waved his hand out in front of them. "Amity Coliseum is arriving in a couple of months, so it's not as lively as it usually would be."

"This isn't lively, this is bustling to us. Holy crap look at all the cars and stuff, and that thing right there, what is that?!" Menma yelled as he watched a massive truck go by, "Is that some sort of transport vehicle."

"That's an eighteen-wheeler, and yes, it is, most of the city's goods are transported by trucks like them. Dust, groceries, you name it, they ship it." Ozpin told Menma, watching as the dock workers got busy unloading the ships coming in.

The blonde was walking fast as he looked around the city, following Ozpin, the group got to see the results of a modern world. Menma was amazed, beguiled but the size of structures and the wonders of neon signs. Shajara shared his fascination with it, looking at all the modernly dressed women, something that would've been slightly frowned upon back home.

Especially with short skirts riding up to their cheeks, leaving very little to the imagination. Naruto, however, looked deeper than the other two. Despite his brother being a Sage like himself, he knew that Menma had always been enthralled with modern life in a city. Naruto was curious, but he was cautious, and when he tried to feel for Nature Chakra…he knew why.

There was almost none, save for the small bits of decorative trees near some streets. Frowning at this, Naruto knew that if they came to face someone powerful Senjutsu may be out of the question. They didn't need Senjutsu all the time, but it never hurts to keep an ace up one's sleeve either.

"Ahh, Ms. Goodwitch, I see that you've arrived." Ozpin greeted a blonde-haired woman with green eyes, dressed in very formal attire, and holding riding crop.

Shajara looked at Menma, whose mouth was slightly agape, she punched him in the arm with a frown. He nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he watched his older brother walk up toward her.

"Namikaze Naruto," Naruto greeted her with his name, "And you?"

"Glynda Goodwitch, assistant of Beacon, I run Beacon when Ozpin makes his errands. You must be the envoy of Ataraishī, must say, I'm surprised they'd send a child." Glynda replied, looking at Naruto, who merely smirked.

He sensed her, finding that she was strong, her aura was shining just as bright as Ozpin's…perhaps more so. The two blonde shook hands, firmly, and she went on to greet the others. Along with a gawking Menma, who was slowly drawing Shajara's ire. Ozpin chuckled, looking at Naruto, watching his eyes which seemed to not leave his brother.

"Your brother seems like he's going through that phase," Ozpin mentioned as he looked at Menma's sweat-filled face.

Shajara was glaring at him as they talked to Glynda, Naruto looked toward Ozpin and bowed in apology, "Otosan and Okasan were more lenient when it involved my younger brother."

"It is quite alright, Ms. Goodwitch is a beautiful woman. Many of our students, much older than you as well, stare. It doesn't make it okay, but Ms. Goodwitch can handle herself in such matters. Besides, it looks like your younger brother's girlfriend is already _correcting_ an issue." Ozpin pointed out, slightly chuckling as he did.

Shajara had Menma's hand in a vice grip, obviously letting him know that him gawking was not exactly being well received. The redhead grunted a little bit, chuckling nervously as Glynda went about talking to them. Ozpin and Naruto watched as more and more vehicles went by, the blonde took a moment to point out a sign.

"Hey," the sign had a triple XXX on it, "What's that place?"

"Well, that's a strip club, not really your cup of tea." Ozpin laughed, watching as Naruto blushed brightly, "Which leads me to another talking point…my students are all teenagers and above."

"So?" Naruto questioned, confused.

"Many of them are young women, while some prefer other young women, many prefer young men. What I am trying to say, bluntly, is that you refrain from starting any sort of relationship while here. Politics is complicated, and such things can be viewed as scandalous with both parties." Ozpin answered, bluntly, and watched as Naruto's face continued to heat up.

Menma saw this and laughed, "Hey, Nīchan are getting the _talk_ again?!"

"Shut up, Menma!" Naruto shouted, crossing his arms and facing away from The Headmaster.

"Are you shy around girls, Mr. Namikaze?" Ozpin laughed while questioning the blonde.

"No," Naruto sighed as he looked at Ozpin, "I just don't need the obvious stated to me. Back in Ataraishī, besides Shajara, almost every other girl my age gawks at me."

"I had one send me some…pictures…and it was really awkward because she had been my friend for a while." Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I never really got how people find that attractive, honestly, it shows what little respect they have for themselves."

"Ahh," The Headmaster laughed, "wiles of being young…I miss the days…"

"You're not really that old, what, thirties?" The blonde inquired, and then snapped his fingers, "Easily lower than fifties mid at worst."

Ozpin chuckled, "Oh my dear friend, I wish I _felt_ that young. However, you're incorrect, I'm in my upper fifties."

"Gah, what, you look almost as young as my dad?!" Naruto pointed a finger at him, "There's no way you're that old, Dattebayo!"

Everyone turned to face Naruto, even some passing by on the streets, Shajara just slapped her face. If her boyfriend wasn't gawking Glynda, then Naruto was committing a faux pas. Sighing, she watched as Menma stifled some laughter, while Ozpin had a small blush on his face from having his age blurted out.

"Mr. Namikaze," Glynda slapped her riding crop in her hand, "Mind telling me why you thought it was a good idea to blurt a person's age?"

"I…um…just…" Naruto nervously giggled, rubbing the back of his head, turning ghost white at the glare of the woman.

 _'_ _This boy is interesting, he can take down a Leviathan, yet…in the face someone correcting him, he's like a small puppy. Gods help this young man when he finds a girl…'_ Ozpin bemoaned, pinching his nose.

Glynda smirked, "Well, so long as you recognized the mistake. As you are aware, you're here as the diplomatic envoy. Vale wants this to be a success, and with Ozpin holding a seat in the council, it is best that you stick with us for the time being."

"Right," The younger blonde breathed.

* * *

Everyone was riding in air transport, nearing Beacon, Naruto saw the giant castle-like structure. The huge academy was as large as it was tall, it was the middle of the night when they had finally arrived. Naruto was holding his scroll in his hands, having registered it with Vale's system. Menma and Shajara were holding their own, recently bought and registered.

The blonde followed behind Glynda as he texted a contact, looking up at the building before smiling when noticed a figure looking out a window. He kept walking forward, following Glynda as Ozpin separated from the group, they had to arrive late as some of the students set up the makeshift guest area for the envoys.

Getting accustomed to the high altitude, Naruto took a deep breath as he felt his ears pop. Stretching, he tested the area, unlike the city he could feel an abundance of Nature Chakra here. Menma saw what Naruto was doing, smiling as he felt the same thing. Shajara was holding his hand, he had apologized earlier.

It also took some sweet nothings to be said, but at the end of the day Shajara had got her payback. Apparently, a man had past them, and she gawked, which made him jealous. Naruto was just happy that the two were growing more into understanding each other, and hoped his little brother learned a valuable lesson. Unlikely as it was, Naruto was a carrying a guidebook for the rules of Beacon Academy. Some of them didn't apply, like classes, but much of the other rules did.

Yawning, he walked into the temporary guest quarters. He saw that one room had been made. Placing his bags on the ground, Naruto watched as Menma and Shajara explored around. Ozpin looked at Naruto, smiling.

"This was a spare locker room, they got finished placing in a T.V and such. The other beds should be arriving, and we done our best for the time given to make the bathroom more private. There is a shower, and such." The Headmaster told the Shinobi, "The other students have been made aware that they are forbidden to enter here."

The blonde looked at Ozpin, "Are we allowed to explore Beacon?"

Glynda sucks her teeth, replying, "Yes…but be warned. Some of our students are not good with outsiders. Plus, with your whisker markings, you look like Faunus and we've had a particular group of freshmen picking fights."

"Meh," Menma hummed, "We'll just knock their teeth in."

"No, we won't," Naruto reprimanded his brother, "Any sign of hostility could be thrown in with those _sentiments_ that Ozpin-san mentioned earlier."

"So, we just bite our tongues?" Menma argued, slightly frustrated.

"You wanted to be here, now you are, if you can't follow that simple order then leave. There was a reason why I wanted to come alone, its because I knew how I would react, I can't account for your actions. However, perhaps this will be a great experience for you." Naruto argued back, showing a slight annoyance at his little brother's frustration.

The Namikaze brothers huffed, the redhead walked toward the bathroom to take a shower. The blonde sighed, looking at Ozpin, he nodded and gave a small smile.

"Thank you for your hospitality, I believe we are squared away. However, if I know your position well enough, you probably have a mountain of paperwork." Naruto thanked Ozpin but pointed out the obvious.

The man sighed, "You would be correct, unfortunately. The position I fill is an honored paper pusher, much like any leader."

"Amen to that one," Shajara grumbled, walking toward the small loveseat and flopping down.

Closing the door behind Ozpin and Glynda, Naruto flopped backward. Shajara watched as he stared up at the ceiling, feeling as he started to absorb Nature Chakra. Slowly, his eyes began to grow the orange pigment around them. He smiled, and she knew why.

With a small smile, Shajara asked him bluntly, "Blake's here…isn't she?"

"Mmhmm, I'm just making sure I don't sense anyone in the forest," Naruto stated as he got back up, flexing his hands a little.

Deactivating Senin Modo, Naruto walked toward the T.V, turning it on. He scrolled through the channels with a small remote, finding the news. Flopping on the floor in front of the couch, Menma came out of the bathroom, stretching as he was shirtless. Shajara glanced at him, drinking in his looks, much to Naruto's embarrassment. Winking at her, Menma walked toward the fridge, pulling out a gallon of red colored liquid.

"Cool-aid, hmm," Menma hummed as he got a paper cup and filled it up.

He took a sip of it before spitting it into the nearby sink, "Yuck, that's like friggin' syrup!"

"Let me try, you've always been a picky eater," Naruto stated, grabbing a cup and putting in enough to test it.

Chugging it, Naruto suddenly wrenched, spitting it out into the sink. He swore he could feel his teeth rotting away at that very moment and looked at the red colored liquid staining the porcelain sink. The blonde looked at the jug and looked at the cup which was also stained.

He shook his head, "But, why?"

"Oh, C'mon, Naruto-Taichou it can't be that bad. I mean seriously," Shajara ranted while pouring herself a cup. "I mean really, it may be a little sweet."

She swigged it, standing there before dumping the cup out into the sink, "What the hell is this?!"

"I know right?!" Menma yelled, and to top it off his teeth were stained a little bit red.

"I mean, seriously, it's like drinking thick molasses. It would probably be good in cake, but Gods, not a drink!" Shajara complained, agreeing with Menma.

They looked at Naruto. The blonde spat up the mouthwash he had just used, looking on he took a deep breath and then grabbed the jog before pouring the contents out. He then looked at the news channel, his face going white as The Capitan of the ship they were on was on.

 _"_ _You're saying that the passengers you brought over are in the city, right now?" A lavender eye woman asked The Captain._

 _The man nodded, "Yes Ma'am, I wished I had the videos of that incident. We were threatened to be beached by a Leviathan Grimm when The Headmaster of Beacon and two youths emerged from our guest compartment."_

 _The sudden cut to a crew member, holding his scroll made Naruto wince even more._

 _"_ _It was like watching you would see out a Superhero movie," A crewmember of The Aquila Pearl stated, "Our guns weren't working on the creature, and yet these two young boys used what I can only assume is magic."_

 _A small video clip of the battle appeared by the interview, showing Naruto taking the head off the monster._

"Ahh…crap," Naruto grumbled, wincing as he saw himself and Menma teleport back onto the ship.

Shajara's right eye started to twitch, "Son of a bitch, I was there too!"

"Shajara not now, oh, Otosan is going to kill us…" Menma freaked out a little bit and took a deep breath.

"It was my call," Naruto sighed as he sat the floor, watching the T.V.

 _The interview trailed to the video, repeating the clip of a Naruto's Rasenshuriken impacting The Leviathan. A small text line underneath reading that 'Atlasian General Ironwood has no comment at this time,' and continued to state that 'The Vytal Festival will continue as planned.'_

 _"_ _It was like watching two Gods,"_ That comment made Menma smirk a little, _"And if it wasn't for them, we'd been screwed."_

 _"_ _Reports are saying that these two are indeed from the rouge village of Ataraishī. The Village located inside of Menagerie. The Faunus Country has sponsored the secretive village for the last fourteen years. It was at first, believed to be a giant military base for The White Fang, but as of right now it would seem that the facts are indeed stranger than fiction. This has been Lisa Lavender, for The V.N.N." Lisa Lavender signed off._

The T.V flipped to another program, called Judge Woody. Naruto and Menma looked at each other, the blonde then heard a knock on the door. Menma walked toward the door, opening it, with his hand secretly reaching for a kunai tucked underneath his waistband just in case.

However, it wasn't needed as a yellow-eyed Faunus with jet black hair walked into the makeshift guest area. Naruto got up from the floor, smiling, he was tearing up a little bit.

"Wassup Neko-Chan," Naruto laughed, smiling brightly.

'Neko-Chan' smiled in kind, replying, "Nothing much Kitsune-Baka."

"Hey Blake," Shajara greeted 'Neko-Chan' with a smile, "What's been up with you?"

Blake looked at Shajara, looking around, "Did you sneak your whole family over?"

"No," Naruto laughed as he looked at the two, "They stowed away."

Blake took a deep breath, "Look, you are probably pissed off at me…and…"

"I'm not mad at you, you followed your heart. The Heart can such a dummy sometimes, but you never should be sorry for following what you believe to be your calling. All that matters is your safety, you're like the older sister I never had, and I'm glad that you are here instead of getting beat down." Naruto interjected as he looked at her, pulling her into a hug.

She smiled a little, returning the hug, "Thanks…Naruto-chan."

"Don't mention it," Naruto stated as he and she broke the hug.

She took a deep breath, "So, what are you doing right now?"

"Adjusting to the fact that I and Menma became world famous," The blonde answered nervously.

"I saw that earlier, they did the interview a few hours ago. Just…what kind of training have you been doing?" Blake asked as she looked at him, eyeing slightly.

The blonde laughed, "The one that allows me to kick monster sized ass."

"I helped out!" Menma exclaimed.

The Cat-eared Faunus chuckled, "Being a towel boy doesn't count."

"That was ten years ago!" Menma yelped as he waved his arms about in frustration.

The blonde snickered as he and Blake walked toward the door, he turned to his brother, "Menma. Make sure no one else stops by, please."

"Wait," Shajara looked at him, "Where are you going?"

"I'm getting the itch to spar, and since Blake is here, I figured we'd settle an old score," Naruto replied as opened the door.

"Don't be out too late, or you'll lose the bed!" Shajara yelled out as Naruto closed the door.

Blake looked at him, "So, you want to lose to me again?"

"Nope," Naruto replied as he and she began to walk, "Forest?"

"Only if you make the rules fair," She pointed out. "I can't do Jutsu."

"I'll make them flexible."

"Why not, but if I win, you're gonna have to owe me a favor," Blake stated, giving a small smirk as they began to jog toward the forest.

* * *

Naruto's Hirashin Kunai and Blake's Gambol Shroud clashed in a flurry of sparks. The brunette Faunus was holding her own, granted it, the match they had come with the stipulations of him not using Jutsu. A pure bout of physicality, and with it, she was barred from using her gun or Semblance.

Throwing his kunai at her, Naruto missed as she leaned to the side, but this allowed him to drill into her with a sidekick. Her eyes widened behind the force, being sent sliding to the opposite side of the clearing. She watched as he lunged forward, reacquiring his kunai, and smirking when he saw her wince slightly.

She growled, reversing her grip on her blade and charging. Both clashed repeatedly, sparks from their blades as Naruto playfully stepped forward. She turned on her heel, gripping her sword normally, and slashed! The blonde Shinobi barely dodged, his arm getting a slight nick for his effort. Blake smirked in victory, but then watched as Naruto exploded into a cloud of smoke, revealing a log.

"Cheater!" She roared out, looking around.

Naruto laughed, but the laugh was coming from all around her, _"Sorry Neko-Chan, but I did say that the rules were flexible."_

"Oh, that's such BS, and you know it, should've figured coming from you. However," Blake loaded Fire Dust into her gun, smirking. "Two can play at that game."

Without warning Blake started shooting at random trees, igniting them with the Fire Dust laced bullets. Naruto emerged from a nearby shrub, holding a small Rasengan. Blake used her semblance, allowing Naruto to impact the exploding clone, but frowned when it turned out that the one leaping out at her was a clone as well. The small fiery explosion lit up the night, but Blake saw through the night's shroud beyond it. She found Naruto creating a couple more clones, both leaping through unburnt shrubbery and trees. She opened fire, trailing them, and managing to take them out.

She backed up, turning on her heel and pointing her gun right Naruto. The blonde turning his heel, leaning forward and crashing his forearm into her side. Blake winced as her body gave out, collapsing to a knee in front of him, the blonde smirked as he offered his hand. Her aura flickering, with her scroll beeping to signal it being taken out.

"Sorry, Neko-Chan, you lost this one." Naruto laughed, helping her up.

Blake grumbled a little, looking at him before smiling, "It was a close match."

"Were you really trying to shoot me in the head?" Naruto inquired, a little nervous about where she was aiming her gun.

"Not really, hoping you'd freeze up like last time. However, you've grown up. So, tell me, how are my parents?" Blake asked, curious as to why he texted her when he arrived.

Naruto frowned, "They miss you, Kali-Obachan asked me to check in with her after I saw you."

"Blake, they're not mad at you, not even disappointed. I bet, right now, they're damn proud of you, Dattebayo!" He exclaimed, giving her a bright smile.

The Belladonna sighed, looking away, "I should've listened to you…and…and…"

He watched as she started to cry, watching her start to break down. The blonde took a deep breath, walking toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Wiping her tears away, Blake took a very deep breath, calming down a little.

She bit her a lip a little, "So, why are you here…and not your father."

"I'm going to be running Ataraishī one day, Blake. I need to start gathering knowledge on how to bring it to the world, we can't be in Menagerie's shadow forever. In a way, I'm trying to help Menagerie as well, because it deserves to be a recognized country." Naruto stated, telling her why he was there, "But, I made it priority one to make sure you were okay when I learned you were here."

"You are my best friend, Dattebayo!" He exclaimed with a brighter smile.

Blake lowered her head, and pulled him into a hug, "Thanks Kitsune-Baka…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…hey, what's the beeping?" Naruto asked.

Blake hummed, breaking the hug and checking her scroll. Her eyes widened, it was her emergency beacon and had been going since her aura got knocked out. Which meant one thing, and that one thing came in the form of Yellow Roses slamming into Naruto.

"No!" Blake yelled, watching as her teammates emerged from the petals.

"Don't worry Blake, we're…here…to save you?" The Blonde started to exclaim, looking at Blake as she ran toward the other blade she had just knocked out against a tree.

"Um, Blake, who was that?" The shorter, silver-eyed girl asked.

"Ruby, Yang, this is my friend…Naruto. We had a spar, and I was just talking to him when you came and knocked him out!" Blake yelled at Yang, "why?!"

"Well, um, you know…hahaha…I did an oopsie didn't I?" Yang nervously chuckled, asking Blake if she had screwed up.

"Yang, if he has to go to the hospital, you probably screwed up big. He's an envoy from that village I was talking about earlier this week." Blake walked over toward him, watching as his eyes fluttered open.

Naruto groaned, "Ow…I got my block knocked off…"

"Sorry dude," Yang offered up as she nervously rubbed the back of her head, "I thought Blake was in danger and well…"

"Yeah, I get it no worries, but damn that was one hell of a punch!" Naruto yelled, holding his head with his eyes closed.

Ruby walked in front of him, "Hey, can you remember what day it is, and your name?"

"Today is…um…October ninth, and…" He opened his eyes, stopping with his reply when he looked at Ruby.

"And…" Ruby then looked at Yang, "And I think Yang messed you up pretty bad."

"Um, yeah, Tang…" Naruto mumbled.

"Yang," Yang corrected him, "Y-A-N-G."

"Ye-yeah, I got that, I just…um…hi?" Naruto offered up to Ruby.

The girl looked at Blake, stating bluntly, "I think he's got a concussion."

"You think!" Blake yelled as she grabbed him, draping his arm over her shoulder, and glaring at Yang.

The blonde bombshell just nervously helped her drag the blonde back to Beacon, "Hey, what's your name?"

"My name is Naruto Namikaze…and…I'm just gonna take a nap." Naruto yawned, only to get a pinch by Blake, "ow?"

"No you don't, you can't fall asleep with a concussion!"


	11. News

Hi guys, just wanted to touch base.

Currently Primrose is the main focus, and I aim to finish it up as quickly as possible. Shinobi will be next, and I just wanted to explain what the situation is involving the reason I chose to have them teach Jutsu.

Now, as for aura not being chakra, you're right. I explicitly stated it over and over again that they were different. However, with aura being made of physical energy and Spiritual energy (as said in canon per vol1) it's not far fetched to assume that it wouldn't be impossible to teach someone to manipulate it and transform it into chakra. I think I even hinted at the ratio of Physical and Spiritual energy needed for both.

Minato teaching others is not super farfetched, and at this time he is STILL considered the child of prophecy in his own mind. As to what that entails, it's obvious that the situation presented presents the same challenges. If rogue Shinobi start forming the world may come into a danger they can't stop, and likewise the entire part of the first arc is to show that Shinobi can be...

1\. Protectors.

2\. Peaceful.

3\. Cooperative.

4\. A boonful ally.

Naruto being as powerful as he is something I can see as a turn off. At this point, however, what is done is done. I hope that this helps you understand my motives, and please keep on the lookout. Shinobi will be back before you know it!

ADD NOTE.

there'll be no Yang whoring around.

No harems.

Sorry.

ADD NOTE 2.

I WANT TO CORRECT A MISTAKE.

AURA IS MENTIONED AS "It can be compared to the real-life principle of Chi/Ki or Chakra, as used in other forms of media." in the official wiki for the anime RWBY. I, for one, apologize. However, to be fair Minato breaking it down isn't far fetched. Because that type of energy being comparable means in some aspects the mechanisms behind it are related.

Manifesting one's soul is something Naruto characters did a lot, because spiritual energy is connected directly to one's soul and mixed with physical energy allows Chakra to be born. the way Aura is utilized is often similar how Chakra can be in physical combat (Taijutsu/Kenjutsu. Etc)

I'm sorry.


End file.
